Ukrainian Drone Strike Sparks Fire at Industrial Plant in Krasnodar

A Ukrainian drone strike in the southern Krasnodar region early Thursday triggered a fire at an industrial facility that several media outlets identified as a chemical plant, forcing the facility to evacuate.

Regional authorities said the blaze started after debris from a downed drone crashed into “one of the largest industrial enterprises” in the Belorechensky district. The fire was quickly extinguished, and no casualties were reported.

Authorities did not name the facility, but pro-war bloggers and several Telegram news channels, including those with ties to Russia's security services, said the target was EuroChem-Belorechensky Mineral Fertilizers, a major producer of chemical products.

The Telegram news channel Astra, citing an unnamed employee at EuroChem, reported that the plant was struck around 2 am, though the scale of the damage remained unclear. The Moscow Times could not independently verify that report.

The EU and Britain sanctioned EuroChem's founder Andrei Melnichenko in 2022. EuroChem itself is not under sanctions.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian chemical plants since the full-scale invasion. Some of the plants supply materials used in explosives factories, according to reporting by Reuters.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Thursday that it had downed 55 Ukrainian drones overnight across the country and in annexed Crimea.