Ukrainian drones strike Azot chemical plant deep inside Russia
Ukrainian drones attacked the Azot branch of Uralchem in Berezniki, Perm Krai, on the morning of September 11, causing explosions, smoke and a full halt of production at Russia's largest nitrogen fertilizer facility, roughly 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border. Plant workers reported multiple blasts; the Russian Defense Ministry said drones were shot down and the Perm governor reported no casualties.
Key points
- Drones attacked the Azot chemical plant in Berezniki, Perm Krai, on the morning of September 11.
- Plant workers reported a series of explosions and a full halt of the technological process; smoke was seen over the facility.
- Azot, part of Uralchem, is Russia's largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers and a sole supplier of chemicals used in explosives.
- The nitric acid produced there feeds Russian military-industrial enterprises including the Perm Powder Plant, Solikamsk Ural plant, Aleksinsky Chemical Combine and Biysk Oleum Plant.
- The Russian Defense Ministry claimed drones were shot down over the region; Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin said 36 drones fell in a non-residential area and that there were no casualties.
- From 05:00 Moscow time, Bolshoye Savino airport in Perm imposed temporary restrictions on flights.
- Berezniki lies about 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border; the plant was previously hit by drones in autumn 2025.
Why it matters
Azot is not only Russia's largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers but also the sole supplier of certain chemicals that feed a chain of Russian military-industrial enterprises manufacturing explosives and gunpowder, including the Perm Powder Plant, Solikamsk Ural plant, Aleksinsky Chemical Combine and Biysk Oleum Plant. A successful hit and full production halt therefore has direct implications for Russia's defense supply chain, while the roughly 1,500 km distance from Ukraine highlights the long reach of Ukrainian drone operations.
What happened
On the morning of September 11, drones attacked the Azot branch of Uralchem in Berezniki, Perm Krai. Plant workers reported a series of explosions at the complex and said the technological process was fully halted. Smoke was observed over the enterprise. The attack was reported by the Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+/Supernova+ and by Russian outlet Astra; Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, posted video confirming the strike and the plant's role in producing explosives for Russian strike air assets.
Ahead of the attack, air raid sirens sounded for several hours in Berezniki and Solikamsk, and monitoring channels tracked drone activity over Perm Krai. From 05:00 Moscow time, Bolshoye Savino airport in Perm imposed temporary restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed drones were shot down over the region, and Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin said 36 drones fell in a non-residential area, that two industrial sites were hit, and that there were no casualties, with air quality being monitored. Reports also indicated a possible strike on a second chemical enterprise, Metafrax Chemicals in Gubakha.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources openly attribute the attack to Ukrainian drones and present Azot as a legitimate military target, emphasizing that it is the sole supplier of chemicals used by Russia's military-industrial complex to produce explosives and gunpowder, and that its nitric acid feeds enterprises such as the Perm Powder Plant, Solikamsk Ural plant, Aleksinsky Chemical Combine and Biysk Oleum Plant. The confirmation from Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the NSDC, is highlighted as authoritative. Ukrainian coverage stresses the strategic significance of Azot, the depth of the strike at roughly 1,500 km from the border, the concrete damage — explosions, smoke and a full production halt — and frames the attack as part of a pattern of recurring strikes on the same facility dating back to autumn 2025.
Where reporting differs
Ukrainian OSINT channels Exilenova+/Supernova+ and plant workers describe successful hits on Azot, with explosions, smoke over the complex and a full halt of the technological process. By contrast, the Russian Ministry of Defense and Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin claimed drones were downed over the region — 36, according to the governor, falling in a non-residential area — and reported no casualties. There is also inconsistency on the number of facilities struck: some reports name only Azot in Berezniki, others mention a possible second hit on the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Gubakha, and the governor stated two industrial objects in Perm Krai were struck.
Background
Azot is a branch of Uralchem and the legal successor of the Berezniki Chemical Combine, producing ammonia, nitric acid, ammonium and potassium nitrate, urea and other chemical products. It is described as Russia's largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers and the sole supplier of a range of chemicals used in explosives manufacturing. The complex spans about 140 hectares, includes roughly 90 production buildings and employs around 2,500 people. Berezniki is located approximately 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border. Before the September 11 attack, air raid sirens sounded for several hours in Berezniki and Solikamsk while monitoring channels tracked drone activity over Perm Krai; the same plant was previously hit by drones in autumn 2025.