Drone Attack Sparks Fire at Russia’s Tambov Powder Plant

On the night of June 11, a drone attack occurred at the Tambov Gunpowder Plant in the Russian city of Kotovsk. This was reported by the acting governor of the Tambov region, Yevgeny Pervyshov, who noted that the attack caused a fire.

“As a result of one of the downed UAVs falling, a fire broke out, which was extinguished by fire brigades. There are no casualties. Law enforcement officers are working at the scene.”

According to the Russian Telegram channel Mash, at least 15 explosions were heard in the city. Local residents also confirmed that the plant was attacked, and the Astra channel published a video showing the aftermath of the fire.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 32 drones, including 16 over the Voronezh region, 8 over Kursk, 5 over Tambov, 2 over Rostov region, and one over the Black Sea near the coast of occupied Crimea.

This incident is not the first for the Tambov Gunpowder Plant, as drones from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine had already attacked this facility in January and July of last year. At that time, one of the kamikaze drones exploded on the plant’s territory, and in November 2023, drones struck again.

The Tambov Gunpowder Plant is one of the largest producers of ammunition and gunpowder for small arms in Russia. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the enterprise has increased production by one-third. Since March 2023, the plant has been under sanctions.