Ukrainian An-196 Drones Hit Key Facility of Russian Metafrax Chemical Plant

Following a strike by Ukrainian An-196 Liutyi drones on the Russian chemical plant Metafrax, the facility lost critical equipment.

The CyberBoroshno project reported this.

According to available information, two drones carried out the attack, striking a distillation column – a crucial component of the plant’s main production unit, specifically the methanol synthesis and purification (rectification) block.

The released images show that restoration work is underway at the facility, involving heavy lifting equipment. Steam can also be seen rising directly from the installation.

In effect, this is not just a separate “tower,” but the core of the entire production cycle.

It is in this unit that crude methanol undergoes purification and is refined to commercial-grade quality, after which it is used to produce formalin, urea-formaldehyde resins, and other derivative products.

Damage to such a component typically leads to an emergency shutdown of the technological process, as the unit operates under high pressure and temperature.

As previously reported, the attack took place on the night of February 17.

The Metafrax plant, located in Perm Krai, is the main enterprise of the chemical holding of the same name.

It specializes in the production of methanol, formalin, synthetic resins, and other chemical products.

The company’s products, including hexamine and methanol, are used as components in the manufacture of explosives. Due to its involvement in Russia’s defense sector, Metafrax Group is under sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

This is not the first attack on the chemical plant. In September 2025, drones struck facilities on the company’s premises, causing damage to buildings.