Ukrainian drones strike Uralchem's Azot chemical plant in Russia's Perm Krai
On the morning of September 11, drones attacked the Azot branch of Uralchem in Berezniki, Perm Krai, Russia, halting production and causing reported explosions and smoke. The plant is Russia's largest nitrogen fertilizer producer and a supplier of chemicals used in explosives manufacturing. Monitoring channels and Russian opposition media reported the strike; the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed drones were shot down.
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 the technological process was halted; smoke was observed over the facility.
- Azot is Russia's largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers and a sole supplier of certain chemicals used in explosives production.
- The complex covers about 140 hectares, includes around 90 production buildings, and employs roughly 2,500 people.
- Berezniki lies approximately 1,500 km from the border with Ukraine.
- Air raid sirens sounded in Berezniki and Solikamsk for several hours before the attack; Bolshoye Savino airport in Perm imposed temporary restrictions from 05:00 Moscow time.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed drones were shot down over the region, while monitoring channels and visible damage indicate drones struck the facility.
- The Azot plant was previously hit by drones in autumn 2025.
- Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, published video confirming the attack and the plant's role in producing explosives for Russian strike air assets.
Why it matters
The Azot plant is Russia's largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers and supplies chemicals — notably concentrated nitric acid — used by Russian military-industrial complex enterprises to manufacture explosives and gunpowder. Striking a facility 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border underscores the growing range of Ukrainian drone operations and the pressure they are placing on production chains serving Russia's war effort. The plant had already been hit in autumn 2025, and a Ukrainian government-linked source publicly tied the facility to Russia's strike capabilities.
What happened
On the morning of September 11, drones struck the Azot branch of Uralchem in Berezniki, Perm Krai, Russia. The Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+ and the Russian outlet Astra reported the attack based on OSINT analysis. Plant workers reported a series of explosions at the facility; smoke was observed rising over the enterprise and the technological process was halted. Before the strike, 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 Ministry of Defense said drones were shot down over the region — a claim contradicted by visible damage and worker reports. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, posted video confirming the strike and noted the plant's role in producing explosives for Russian strike air assets.
Where reporting differs
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed drones were shot down over the Perm Krai region, but monitoring channels, plant workers reporting a series of explosions, visible smoke over the facility, and confirmation from a Ukrainian government-linked source indicate that drones reached and struck the Azot plant.
Background
Azot, the legal successor of the Berezniki Chemical Combine, is one of Russia's largest chemical complexes and its biggest producer of nitrogen fertilizers. It manufactures ammonia, nitric acid, ammonium and potassium nitrate, urea, and other chemical products. The complex spans roughly 140 hectares, contains about 90 production buildings, and employs around 2,500 people. According to reports, nitric acid from Azot is used by Russian military-industrial enterprises including the Perm Powder Plant, the Solikamsk Ural plant, the Aleksinsky Chemical Combine, and the Biysk Oleum Plant in the manufacture of explosives and gunpowder. The plant was previously hit by drones in autumn 2025.