The plant is Russia's only helium production facility, which is a vital component for the missile, space, and aviation industries.
Around 8 p.m., residents reported a series of explosions in the area of the plant, after which local authorities decided to halt traffic on a section of the M-5 Ural federal highway near the villages of Perevolotskoye and Kholodnye Klyuchi, which lead to the facility.
The plant produces about 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, crucial for missile and rocket manufacturing, space, and aviation sectors. It plays a significant role in Russia's military-industrial complex and directly supports Moscow's war effort against Ukraine.
On Aug. 12, the Astra Telegram channel reported that Monokristal JSC, one of the world's leading manufacturers of synthetic sapphire used in various high-tech industries, including the military, was reportedly targeted in an overnight drone attack on the Russian city of Stavropol.