Drones have attacked the major Azot chemical plant in the city of Berezniki, located in Russia's Perm Krai. Thick smoke rose over the territory of the strategic industrial enterprise, while local residents reported hearing explosion sounds and the operation of air defense systems.
Drone Attack and Air Defense Operations
Smoke was spotted over the Azot facility, which is part of the Uralchem company structure, amid numerous eyewitness reports of air defense activity in Berezniki. At around 6:00 AM, the regional Ministry of Territorial Security confirmed that a drone attack was being repelled, noting that emergency services were operating at the scene.
Shortly after the incident began, around 7:00 AM, air raid sirens wailed in Perm. Authorities imposed a temporary "Carpets" emergency flight restriction regime, which extended within a 50-kilometer radius around Berezniki, paralyzing the area's routine logistics.
Strategic Importance of the Azot Plant for the Military-Industrial Complex
The enterprise in Berezniki is a branch of JSC “Uralchem” and traces its origins back to the Berezniki Chemical Plant. Approximately 2,500 people work at the facility, producing a wide range of goods including ammonia, nitric acid, ammonium and potassium nitrate, carbamide, and nitrite-nitrate salts.
Nitric acid production is of particular importance, as it is actively used by enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex to manufacture explosives. Specifically, the plant supplies products to the Perm Powder Plant, the Solikamsk Ural Plant, the Aleksin Chemical Combine, and the Biysk Oleum Plant.
Official Response and Incident Aftermath
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also mentioned repelling the nighttime drone attack in Perm Krai alongside other regions in its official report. Information regarding the impact of the strike and the extent of potential damage to the plant's infrastructure is currently being verified by relevant agencies.
