Explosion at Russian Plant Producing Gunpowder and Shells Destroys Four Buildings

An explosion at the Elastic gunpowder plant in Russia’s Ryazan region on August 15th destroyed four buildings, including facilities where artillery shells were filled with explosives, according to the Astra media outlet.

The fire was reported at 10:41 a.m. local time.

The cause remains unclear, but flames spread quickly to three nearby buildings, including a warehouse holding TNT-equipped shells and a second production workshop.

Astra said the warehouse had stored 152 mm artillery shells, and a shell production workshop had been located nearby.

The blast killed 11 people and injured 130, officials said.

The plant has seen fatal accidents before. In October 2021, an explosion at a workshop run by the private explosives manufacturer Razryad, which rented space at Elastic, killed 17 workers.

At the time, Russian media reported the company had produced industrial explosives, including from recycled ammunition.

Militarnyi previously reported that Ukrainian drones had struck the Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant in the Moscow region, a defense-linked facility producing military equipment such as aircraft protection systems and lighting devices.

The attack occurred on July 7th, 2025, when residents reported hearing seven explosions near the plant.

Days earlier, Ukrainian drones also targeted the Scientific Research Institute of Applied Chemistry in Sergiev Posad, which produces warheads for Shahed drones.