Explosions at Major Russian Chemical Plant as Ust-Luga Port Under Fire Again
Drones struck a major Russian chemical plant, igniting a fire, while fresh attacks hit Ust-Luga port and forced airport restrictions across multiple regions.
Kyiv Post
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Drones attacked the Minudobreniya plant in Rossosh, Voronezh region of Russia – one of the largest chemical facilities in the area – on the evening of Monday, April 6.
As a result of the strike, the roof of a finished goods warehouse caught fire according to videos recorded by local residents and reviewed by the Astra outlet.
Regional governor Alexander Gusev confirmed that six drones targeted “one of the districts” of the region. He said debris from a downed drone caused a roof fire. One person was injured and hospitalized with burns.
JSC Minudobreniya is among the largest chemical producers in the Voronezh region and is managed by JSC Roskhim. Russian media have linked the plant to businessman Arkady Rotenberg, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is under international sanctions.
According to open data, the plant can produce more than 550,000 tons of ammonium nitrate and up to 1.2 million tons of nitroammophoska annually. Ammonium nitrate can also be used in the production of explosives.
The facility was previously targeted on Dec. 13, 2025.
The strike is part of a broader wave of attacks on Russia’s chemical industry. On April 4, drones hit two plants in Tolyatti, Samara region – Tolyattikauchuk and KuibyshevAzot. The former produces synthetic rubber, while the latter manufactures fertilizers, caprolactam, and polyamides.
The ceasefire proposal was conveyed to the Russian side through the Americans.
On March 27, drones also struck Apatit JSC, part of PhosAgro Group’s Cherepovets chemical cluster – Europe’s largest producer of phosphate-based fertilizers and a key Russian supplier.
Meanwhile, drones targeted Russia’s Leningrad region, with the Ust-Luga port coming under renewed attack. According to regional governor Alexander Drozdenko, the raid began around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, with air defenses allegedly downing 20 aerial targets.
Airport operations were temporarily restricted at Pulkovo in St. Petersburg and Khrabrovo in the Kaliningrad region, causing delays and cancellations.
The attack on Ust-Luga reportedly began around 5 a.m., though the extent of the damage remains unclear. Footage circulating online shows bright flashes in the sky and loud explosions near the port.
This marks at least the fourth reported strike on Ust-Luga in recent weeks, following attacks on March 25, March 29, and March 31.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the strikes.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that 45 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones were intercepted overnight, including 19 over the Leningrad region and 11 over the Voronezh region.
The two ports handle over 40% of Russia’s seaborne crude exports. At Primorsk alone, about $200 million worth of oil was destroyed, a Western security official told the FT.
Still, the losses remain modest compared to Russia’s projected $160 billion in oil revenues in 2025, according to KSE.
Full recovery may take weeks, with burned storage tanks requiring months to rebuild, said Seala AI analyst Vladimir Nikitin. Repairs at Novatek’s Ust-Luga terminal could exceed a month, while Lukoil’s Norsi refinery was also damaged by drone debris.
Russian outlet The Bell reported Primorsk resumed near-full operations within days, while Ust-Luga maintained partial capacity. Sustained disruption would require Ukraine to keep up the pace of March’s strikes, analyst Sergey Vakulenko said.
Ukraine’s drone capabilities continue to outpace Russian countermeasures, a source close to the Russian Defense Ministry told the FT.
Julia is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.