Drones Set Fire to One of Russia’s Largest Chemical Plants Linked to Military Explosives

A drone attack sparked a fire at the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, Russia’s Tula region, overnight on October 28. The facility is one of Russia’s largest producers of nitrogen fertilizers and has supplied chemicals to a manufacturer of military explosives.

Footage published by the monitoring channel Exilenova+ on October 28 showed flames at the industrial complex following the attack. Analysis of the available images suggested that the AM-70 ammonia production unit may have been struck.

Tula region Governor Dmitry Milyaev confirmed a drone attack on the region and reported damage to infrastructure in Novomoskovsk’s industrial zone. However, he did not specify which facilities were affected.

The Azot plant belongs to the EuroChem group and produces ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea, methanol, and other industrial chemicals. Its products are used in agriculture and chemical manufacturing, while some also serve as raw materials for explosives production.

According to OSINT Varta, the facility produces nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, chemicals used in both civilian industries and the manufacture of explosives and ammunition.

Between February 2022 and September 2024, the Novomoskovsk plant supplied nearly 5,000 metric tons of nitric acid to the Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region, according to Ukrainian intelligence data.

The Sverdlov facility produces RDX and HMX, two high explosives widely used in military ammunition and other weapons systems.

The attack followed a series of Ukrainian strikes against Russian military infrastructure. On October 27, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that its forces had targeted ammunition depots, military equipment, supply facilities, and troop concentrations across the Luhansk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions on October 26–27. The extent of the damage was not disclosed.

Help us understand what you already know

Join United24 audience survey