Ukrainian drones attacked one of Russia’s largest chemical plants, the Azot facility in the town of Berezniki in Russia’s Perm Krai, regional governor Dmitry Makhonin confirmed.
“Azot had a brief interruption in its production process; the plant is now operating normally. There are no environmental threats, and residents’ safety is not at risk,” Makhonin wrote on Telegram.
Azot belongs to billionaire Dmitry Mazepin’s Uralchem holding company and is Russia’s only producer of higher aliphatic amines, sodium nitrate, and crystalline sodium nitrite.
Its main products include ammonium nitrate, liquid ammonia, urea, nitric acid, and nitrite-nitrate salts. Ammonium nitrate is widely used as both a fertilizer and a component in explosives.
Residents reported two powerful explosions near the plant on Thursday evening, Oct. 2, with eyewitness suggesting three drones were involved. Emergency services set up a crisis response center, though no casualties were reported.
The strike took place more than 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine has not yet confirmed responsibility.
The attack follows a Sept. 25 strike on the EuroChem-Belorechenskie Mineral Fertilizers plant in Krasnodar Krai, another major chemical producer for Russia’s defense industry. That hit temporarily shut down the plant. A fire broke out but was quickly extinguished, and no casualties were reported. About 140 employees were evacuated, and local traffic was blocked while emergency services inspected the site.
The attack followed a series of Ukrainian strikes on EuroChem facilities earlier in 2025, which Ukraine has targeted for their role in supplying chemicals to Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Russian media previously reported Ukrainian drones hitting Novomoskovsk Azot in the Tula region in May and Nevinnomyssk Azot in Stavropol in June. Those strikes damaged infrastructure and disrupted pipelines.