Drones target Russian explosives plant in Dzerzhinsk PHOTO

A large-scale drone attack targeted Dzerzhinsk in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod Region overnight on August 19, with extensive smoke reported over the city, according to the ASTRA Telegram channel.

Eyewitnesses posted footage showing drones and thick smoke during the attack. A preliminary OSINT analysis by ASTRA indicated that the smoke likely originated from the site of the Sverdlov Explosives Plant.

The facility is located about five kilometers from a residential apartment building that was also reportedly damaged by a drone during the attack.

The Sverdlov plant is a major industrial facility in Dzerzhinsk and part of Russia’s military-industrial sector. It is one of the country’s largest explosives manufacturers and has operated for more than a century.

The plant is under sanctions imposed by Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Switzerland.

The facility has previously been targeted by Ukrainian drones, including in an attack on April 30.

By Sabina Mammadli