Drones strike AVISMA titanium plant in Perm Krai; five lightly injured
Drones attacked the AVISMA titanium-sponge plant in Berezniki, Perm Krai, on the night of October 25. The plant sustained minor damage and continued operating normally, while five people were lightly injured. Russian authorities said air defenses downed 11 drones over Perm Krai; buildings and cars were also damaged in Belgorod.
Key points
- Drones attacked the AVISMA plant in Berezniki, Perm Krai, on the night of October 25.
- The plant suffered minor damage and continued operating normally.
- Five people were lightly injured, according to reports on the attack.
- Russian authorities said air defenses downed 11 drones over Perm Krai.
- AVISMA is part of VSMPO-AVISMA, a major titanium producer with a full production cycle.
- VSMPO-AVISMA produced about 33,500 tonnes of titanium sponge in 2024, roughly 96% of Russian production.
- The same overnight attacks damaged buildings and cars in Belgorod.
Why it matters
The strike targeted a major supplier of titanium used in Russian military aviation, aircraft engines, missile systems, nuclear submarines and armored vehicles. Despite the attack, the plant continued operating normally, limiting the immediate effect on production.
What happened
Drones struck the AVISMA chemical-metallurgical plant in Berezniki, Perm Krai, on the night of October 25. Local authorities confirmed the attack, and Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ identified the target as AVISMA. Five people were lightly injured, the industrial site sustained minor damage and continued operating normally. Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin said Russian air defenses downed 11 drones over the region. Later the same night, drones also struck Belgorod, damaging buildings and cars; monitoring channels suggested that a local shopping and entertainment center may have been hit.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes AVISMA's role in Russia's military-industrial sector, including its supply of titanium for combat aircraft, engines, missile systems, nuclear submarines and armored vehicles. It also highlights the plant's major share of Russian titanium-sponge production while noting that it continued operating after sustaining only minor damage.
Where reporting differs
Some reports described the attacked industrial site as being in northern Perm Krai, but AVISMA's confirmed location is in central Perm Krai, about 170 kilometers north of Perm. Sources also differ over whether AVISMA is the world's largest or Russia's largest producer of sponge titanium.
Background
AVISMA is based in Berezniki and forms part of VSMPO-AVISMA, one of the world's major titanium producers with a full production cycle. Its corporate customers have included Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Rolls-Royce and Safran. The United States added VSMPO-AVISMA to its sanctions list in September 2023. The titanium supplied by the corporation is associated with Russian fighter aircraft, missile systems, strategic and long-range bombers, and the Kalibr cruise missile.