Drones Attack Rubber Production Plant in Russia’s Tula Region

Strike drones struck the Yefremov Synthetic Rubber Plant in Russia’s Tula Region on the night of December 24, sparking a fire at the facility.

The Exilenova+ Telegram channel shared the video from the scene.

The regional governor later confirmed the fire at the industrial site, saying the blaze had been contained.

“A fire broke out at one of the enterprises in the Tula Region. The open flames have now been localized. There were no casualties,” Governor Dmitry Milyaev said.

NASA’s FIRMS satellite monitoring service also recorded a fire at the plant in the city of Yefremov.

The danger of a drone attack in the Tula region was announced on the evening of December 23 and continued past midnight.

Reports of at least 10 explosions and a subsequent fire at the facility were posted online after 3 a.m.

Local residents also filmed fire trucks heading toward the factory.

The Yefremov Synthetic Rubber Plant is one of Russia’s key producers of synthetic rubber and the only manufacturer of high- and low-molecular-weight polyisobutylene, which is used in various industries.

Synthetic rubber and polyisobutylene are materials used in the chemical and defense industries.

Already in the morning, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation claimed that 172 drones had allegedly been shot down overnight, including 12 over the territory of the Tula region.

On the night of December 23, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian Stavrolen petrochemical plant in the city of Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Krai, causing a fire at the facility. The plant is a major producer of polyethylene, polypropylene, benzene, vinyl acetate, and other petrochemical materials and is part of the Lukoil company.