ASTRA: Explosion hits petrochemical plant in Russia’s Bashkortostan VIDEO / PHOTO

An early-morning explosion at a petrochemical plant in the Russian city of Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan, caused structural damage to the facility but left no casualties, local authorities said.

Footage verified and geolocated by the independent outlet ASTRA shows a fire at the Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant (SNHZ) following the blast. The incident occurred after local authorities issued a drone alert in the region. Residents reported hearing several explosions in the city.

Sterlitamak’s mayor later confirmed that an explosion had taken place in the plant’s water treatment unit, resulting in a partial collapse of the building. “No one was injured. The cause of the explosion is being established,” he said.

According to ASTRA’s analysis of publicly available videos, at least two explosions were recorded — at 6:22 a.m. and 7:09 a.m. local time. The footage also captured flames roughly 3.5 kilometres from the site, with OSINT analysts suggesting that the fire may have originated from railway tankers or nearby storage facilities.

Local witnesses said there were several sources of fire at the plant.

The Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant (SNHZ) is part of Russia’s Roshim chemical holding and produces rubber, ionol, and aviation fuel, according to information published on the company’s official website.

By Aghakazim Guliyev