One of Russia’s largest explosives plants was torched in an overnight drone blitz Saturday by Ukrainian forces, as Kyiv continues its campaign to target military infrastructure deep behind enemy lines.
The Nevinnomyssk Azot factory in the southwest city of Stavropol is one of Russia’s largest producers of chemicals used to make explosives.
It’s been described as a “critical component” of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s war machine — producing more than 4 million tons of ammonium products and nitric acid annually to manufacture bombs, artillery shells and missiles.
Footage on social media showed the sky over the facility ablaze with large orange flames and thick plumes of black smoke, as the sound of explosions rang out over the city.
The strike — the sixth on the facility 150 miles from the Ukrainian border — is part of Kyiv’s campaign targeting Russian military infrastructure with long-range weapons.
“These are entirely justified responses to what the Russians are doing,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X.
The blaze at the explosives plant comes a day after one of Kyiv’s largest retaliatory drone campaigns of the war, which set the massive Ryazan oil refinery, 180 miles from Moscow, ablaze — forcing temporary ground stops at two Moscow airports.
Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks killed at least three Ukrainians and wounded 63 more overnight. It launched nearly 300 drones at Ukraine – with direct hits recorded at 15 locations across the country.
