Drone strike hits Russia’s Nevinnomyssky Azot chemical plant PHOTO/VIDEO/Updated

A drone attack hit the Nevinnomyssky Azot chemical plant in Russia’s Stavropol Krai on the night of January 14, according to photographs taken by eyewitnesses and analysed by the investigative outlet ASTRA.

Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said a “fire in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city,” without directly confirming that the facility had been struck. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that 13 drones were shot down over the region overnight and another six in the morning, Caliber.Az reports. 

The Nevinnomyssky Azot plant, operated by fertiliser producer Eurochem, has previously been attacked at least four times.

According to Reuters, Nevinnomyssky Azot and another Eurochem facility, Novomoskovsky Azot, supply chemicals to the Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk, in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, based on an analysis of railway shipment data.

Between 2022 and 2024, the two plants supplied at least 38,000 tonnes of acetic acid and nearly 5,000 tonnes of nitric acid to the Sverdlov Plant, the data show. Both chemicals are used to produce HMX (octogen) and RDX (hexogen), which are in turn used in the manufacture of artillery shells.

Eurochem is one of the world’s largest producers of mineral fertilisers. 

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A fire broke out overnight at a chemical plant in Russia’s Stavropol Krai region following a reported drone attack, with no official confirmation from authorities as of the morning of January 15.

According to a Telegram channel, the drones struck the production area of the plant, triggering a blaze on the site, Caliber.Az reports. 

No details were immediately available regarding possible casualties or the extent of the damage.

By Sabina Mammadli