Drones attacked the Azot chemical plant in the Russian city of Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai, igniting a fire on the facility's territory overnight, the independent Russian news outlet Astra reported on May 20.
Local residents were the first to report the drone strike and the later massive blaze. Nevinnomyssk Mayor Mikhail Minenkov later confirmed the drone assault and the air defense operating in the area.
This marks at least the seventh attack on the plant since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, publication highlighted. An earlier attack on the Azot facility was reported just days earlier, on May 16.
The plant's production floors, the cafeteria roof, and its anti-drone system sustained damage, forcing a temporary halt to operations in one of the earlier strikes.
Nevinnomyssk Azot is the largest chemical industry enterprise in southern Russia and is part of the EuroChem-Azot holding.