Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia's Nevinnomyssky Azot Plant, Sparking 7th Fire Since 2022
Updated
Updated · Мілітарний · May 20
Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia's Nevinnomyssky Azot Plant, Sparking 7th Fire Since 2022
10 articles · Updated · Мілітарний · May 20
Overnight strikes on May 20 hit Nevinnomyssky Azot in Stavropol region, with eyewitness images and local reports indicating a fire at southern Russia’s largest chemical plant.
Nevinnomyssk’s mayor confirmed a drone attack on the industrial zone and told residents to stay off the streets and take shelter after explosions were heard across the city.
The EuroChem-owned facility is a major producer of ammonia, ammonium nitrate and urea, with annual capacity above 1 million tons of ammonia and 1.4 million tons of ammonium nitrate.
Reuters has reported that Nevinnomyssky Azot and another EuroChem plant shipped at least 38,000 tons of acetic acid and nearly 5,000 tons of nitric acid for explosives production between 2022 and 2024.
The latest strike was at least the seventh on the plant since Russia’s full-scale invasion, following another fire-causing attack on May 15–16 and earlier hits in March, January and 2025.
By striking dual-use chemical plants, is Ukraine risking environmental disaster for a military advantage?
As drones cripple Russia's industrial heart, is this the new blueprint for winning a war of attrition?