One of Russia’s Largest Chemical Plants Shuts Down After a UAV Attack

The operations at Nevinnomyssk Azot, a key supplier of explosives and rocket fuel components, were temporarily halted following a Ukrainian UAV attack on June 14.

According to the Astra news outlet, the attack involving 13 drones targeting the plant resulted in damage to doors, windows, and part of one workshop. Additionally, the roof of the cafeteria and the plant’s anti-drone defense system were also impacted.

Around 800 employees stayed in bomb shelters during the incident, and no evacuation was necessary. Despite the measures taken, the plant was forced to suspend its operations due to the damage.

According to photos and videos shared by local residents, a severe fire broke out on the plant’s premises after the UAV strike.

Nevinnomyssk Azot is located near the city of Nevinnomyssk in the Stavropol Territory and is part of the EuroChem holding. The plant is one of Russia’s largest producers of nitrogen fertilizers and ammonia, with a total production capacity of over 1 million tons of ammonia and 1.4 million tons of ammonium nitrate per year.

The plant is a regular supplier of chemical components for NPO Iskra — one of Russia’s largest engineering enterprises, which designs and manufactures solid-fuel rocket engines and their components for missile systems of various purposes, including those for Russia’s strategic forces.

According to Astra, the plant also supplies raw materials for the production of powerful explosives, hexogen and octogen, to the Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Region, which are used in the production of artillery shells and warheads for missiles and rockets.

Shortly before the attack on Nevinnomyssk Azot, another chemical plant of the EuroChem group, the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, Tula region, was targeted. This plant was attacked twice — on May 24 and June 8.

The Novomoskovsk Azot also specializes in producing ammonia, nitrogen fertilizers, chlorine, organic plastics and resins, and nitric acid.

Like the plant in Nevinnomyssk, the Novomoskovsk plant supplies its products to the Sverdlov plant to produce explosives.

In December 2024, journalists analyzed data on railway transportation and concluded that EuroChem, along with four other Russian chemical companies, provided over 75% of the supplies of key components for the explosives production.