Russia’s vital explosives plant attacked as Ukraine fires over 100 drones

Ukraine launched more than 100 drones at several Russian regions overnight, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry, as four people were injured in an apparent attack on one of Moscow’s major explosives factories hundreds of miles from its western border.

Russian air defenses “intercepted and destroyed” 110 drones, the Kremlin said early on Sunday. A total of 43 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) were taken out over the Kursk region, Russia said, plus eight over the Nizhny Novgorod region to the east of Moscow, and one drone around the capital, according to the statement.

Kyiv also attacked the Lipetsk, Oryol and the Belgorod and Bryansk regions, the ministry said.

Nizhny Novgorod’s Regional Governor, Gleb Nikitin, said on Sunday that air defenses and electronic warfare systems had “repelled” a drone attack around the “industrial zone” in Dzerzhinsk, a city just west of the regional capital. He did not specify the target of the attack.

Several Russian Telegram channels, often used as sources of information in lieu of official statements, reported that Ukraine had targeted the Sverdlov explosives, chemicals and ammunition factory in Dzerzhinsk. The large, state-owned facility is under sanctions by the U.S. government and the European Union.

Ukraine has consistently attacked key Russian military bases, weapons storage sites and facilities that prop up its war effort against Kyiv, now well over two and a half years after the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Ukraine cannot use Western-supplied long-range weapons to carry out attacks inside Russia, but has wielded long-range drones to zero in on enemy sites.

Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian and Russian Defense Ministries for comment via email.

“According to preliminary data, four employees of the fire department located on the territory of the industrial enterprise received minor shrapnel wounds,” Nikitin said in a statement. Those injured received medical care, the governor added, saying emergency services were working close to the sites of where debris had fallen.

The Russian SHOT Telegram channel reported that eyewitnesses heard “the first loud bangs” at around 3:30 a.m. local time, with around 10 explosions in total. Residents heard bursts of gunfire, and white smoke appeared around the plant, according to the channel.

The independent Russian Astra channel shared footage purporting to show the attacks. One clip, which looks to have been filmed in a high-rise residential building, appears to capture the sound of an explosion. Another video, likely filmed on a door camera, shows car alarms going off after what appears to be an impact. Newsweek could not independently verify this footage.