Russia's Largest Explosives Plant Attacked In Night Of Over 100 Drones
On Sunday Russia's defense ministry (MoD) announced that over 100 Ukrainian drones were downed over several regions of Russia overnight, as Kiev's cross-border drone operations have persisted and even been ramped up. Some apparently made it through, however.
The military and its anti-air defense systems had thwarted "an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using an aircraft-type UAV against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation," the ministry said.
Most of the inbound drones were intercepted over the Kursk region, scene of Ukraine's cross-border ground assault which has been unfolding since August.
In particular the MoD tallied that it intercepted or destroyed 110 UAVs, and nearly half of these were downed over Kursk not far from the border.
Dozens of other drones were intercepted over Lipetsk Region, and Nizhny Novgoro and Oryol Regions. One was also downed near Moscow.
The intended targets of the Saturday night attacks included more energy infrastructure and military sites and likely airports.
But there are reports that some of the drones made it through Russian defenses, including on Russia's "largest explosives factory". Located in Nizhny Novgorod, the sprawling state-owned complex appears to have been hit:
A source in Ukraine's SBU security service told Newsweek that drones belonging to the agency, as well as Kyiv's special operations forces and its GUR military intelligence arm, "struck the Sverdlov plant" in the city of Dzerzhinsk overnight, just west of the regional capital in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region.
Nizhny Novgorod Regional Governor Gleb Nikitin said on Sunday that air defenses and electronic warfare systems had repelled a drone attack around the "industrial zone" in Dzerzhinsk. He did not specify the target of the attack.
Several Russian Telegram channels, often used as sources of information in lieu of official statements, reported that Ukraine had targeted the Sverdlov explosives, chemicals and ammunition factory in Dzerzhinsk.
Drone attack on the Sverdlov ammo factory in Dzerzhinsk,
— C4H10FO2P ☠️ (@markito0171) October 20, 2024
🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod Region pic.twitter.com/HQa9mdXaqQ
Russia's military has downplayed these reports, saying only that "four employees of the fire department located on the territory of the industrial enterprise received minor shrapnel wounds."
But videos purporting to have captured the alleged drone strikes show a large fireball lighting up the night sky over Dzerzhinsk.