Early Wednesday morning, October 28, the city of Novomoskovsk in Russia's Tula Oblast was targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result of the strike, a massive fire broke out on the territory of the Azot chemical plant, one of the country's largest producers of nitrogen fertilizers. This is reported by OSINT publics and Russian Telegram channels, referenced by RBC-Ukraine.
Attack Chronology and First Reports
Around 06:00, footage of the fire in Novomoskovsk began to spread massively on social media. Local residents published videos of the strike's aftermath and reported impacts on one of the facilities in the city. Meanwhile, as early as 04:00, Tula Oblast Governor Dmitry Milyaev announced via his Telegram channel that a missile danger alert had been declared in the region. Only after some time did it become known that the cause of the fire was a drone attack rather than a missile strike.
What Is Known About the Target
According to OSINT publics, the target was the Azot chemical plant (JSC NAC Azot), which is part of the EuroChem group. The enterprise produces ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea, and methanol. Reports indicate that the AM-70 unit—an ammonia production aggregate considered by experts to be the raw material base for several Russian military plants—was hit. Some city residents complained of a pungent odor in the air following the attack.
Military-Industrial Significance of the Enterprise
Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service had previously pointed out the plant's importance for the Russian military-industrial complex: according to its data, Azot supplied nitric acid to the Sverdlov plant in Dzerzhinsk, where explosives are manufactured. Thus, the strike on the enterprise affects not only the civilian but also the defense supply chain.
Reaction of Tula Oblast Authorities
Governor Dmitry Milyaev confirmed that damage was recorded in the industrial zone of Novomoskovsk. He reported dispatching laboratories from the regional Department of Natural Resources and Rospotrebnadzor to assess the ecological situation. City residents were urged to stay indoors. OSINT publics suggest that the warning might have been prompted by a potential ammonia release.
Context of Nighttime Strikes Across Russian Regions
The attack on Novomoskovsk occurred against the backdrop of nighttime alerts in several Russian regions. For instance, a fire was recorded in Lipetsk near the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant, which local authorities had not commented on at the time of publication. Earlier, on October 25, missiles attacked the Energia plant in Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast—an enterprise producing components for Iskander and Kinzhal missiles. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that infrastructure strikes had disabled more than half of the country's oil refining capacity.
