Russia’s Azot Chemical Giant Hit as Massive Fire Lights Up Tula Region

A fire broke out at the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, Russia’s Tula region, following a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on June 14.

According to Tula region governor Dmitry Milyaev, emergency services responded to a drone attack on an industrial facility in Novomoskovsk overnight on June 14. While Milyaev did not identify the site, satellite data and videos circulating online indicate that the Azot chemical plant was hit.

Videos recorded by local residents showed a large fire and smoke rising from the industrial area before dawn. NASA’s FIRMS satellite monitoring system also detected a thermal anomaly on the territory of the Azot plant at approximately 03:09 local time.

The Azot facility, located around 350 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, is one of Russia’s largest chemical enterprises. The plant manufactures a range of industrial chemicals, including nitric acid and other products used in fertilizer production. Some chemicals produced at the site can also be used in the manufacture of military-grade explosives.

Russian authorities have not released detailed information about the extent of the damage. Milyaev stated that emergency services were working at the site and that authorities were assessing the consequences of the attack.

Fires were also reported in Russia’s Smolensk and Yaroslavl regions. In Yaroslavl region, a long-range drone strike hit the Temp fuel storage facility in the city of Rybinsk. Operated by Russia’s Federal Agency for State Reserves (Rosrezerv), the site stores strategic fuel reserves intended for use during wartime and national emergencies.

Videos shared online showed a large fire and thick smoke rising from the facility. Regional authorities later confirmed a drone threat and temporarily restricted traffic on a highway linking Yaroslavl with Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later appeared to confirm the attacks in his evening address on June 14. He stated that Ukrainian forces had achieved “good results” in conducting what he described as “long-range sanctions” against key targets in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories.

Zelenskyy specifically mentioned a strike on a fuel facility in Russia’s Yaroslavl region located more than 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, as well as a strike on the Azot plant in the Tula region, which he said supports Russia’s explosives production capabilities.

Protect Ukrainian Skies

Subscribe to Sky Defense