Ukrainian drones launched a large-scale attack on the city of Dzerzhinsk in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod Oblast early Wednesday, Aug. 19, with preliminary OSINT analysis identifying the Sverdlov explosives plant as a possible target.
According to the Russian outlet Astra, the attack targeted the Sverdlov Explosives Plant, a strategically important military-chemical enterprise and one of Russia’s largest explosives manufacturers. The company has operated for more than a century and plays a key role in Russia’s military-industrial sector.
The plant has been included on Ukraine’s sanctions list for allegedly supporting actions that undermine or threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. It is also under sanctions imposed by the US, EU, UK, Japan and Switzerland.
Astra reported that one of the drones struck a multi-story residential building in Dzerzhinsk, several kilometers from the plant. No casualties have been reported. Local authorities have not commented on the alleged strike.
The facility was previously targeted by Ukrainian drones in April 2026 and October 2024, according to available reports.
Drone strikes reported across Russia
Drone attacks were also reported overnight in several other Russian regions.
Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov said six drones targeted industrial facilities in Ufa. According to Khabirov, Russian air defenses shot down four of them.
“One crashed in an industrial area, starting a small fire, which we are currently extinguishing. Another UAV hit a residential building in the Zaton neighborhood. According to preliminary information, one person was injured,” Khabirov wrote on Telegram.
Later, he clarified that a “minor fire” broke out at one of the city’s oil refineries,.
“The extent of the damage is currently being determined, but preliminary estimates indicate that an oil-refining unit undergoing repairs was hit. As always, any impact can damage pipes, causing minor damage,” he wrote on the Russian messaging app Max.
Khabirov added that the damage is expected to be repaired within several days.
One of Russia’s largest petrochemical and refining complexes is located in northern Ufa. It includes the Bashneft-UNPZ, Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim and Bashneft-Novoil plants, which have a combined annual refining capacity of 23.5 million metric tons.
Authorities did not specify which refinery was hit or why the facility was undergoing repairs. The damage may be linked to previous Ukrainian strikes on Ufa’s industrial zone.
The petrochemical complex has been targeted by Ukrainian drones three times in August alone, following several strikes in June and July. A drone attack on Aug. 5 reportedly caused a fire at Rosneft’s Bashneft-UNPZ refinery, according to The Moscow Times.
In addition to the refinery, one of the drones “apparently lost its way” and struck a residential building in Ufa’s Zaton neighborhood on Aug. 19, Khabirov said.
A preliminary report said one person, an Indian medical student, was injured.
According to Khabirov, the strike damaged several apartments and cars. Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage, while an emergency response center has been established and temporary accommodation provided for residents of the high-rise building.
The Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ also published footage purportedly showing an attack on Novomoskovsk in Russia’s Tula Oblast. Russian authorities had not officially commented on the incident or identified a possible target at the time of publication.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian air defenses had shot down at least 25 drones approaching the Russian capital overnight.
As of publication, Russia’s Defense Ministry had not released its own account of the reported overnight attacks, while Ukrainian authorities had not claimed responsibility for the strikes.