A major fire has devastated a Russian factory in Yekaterinburg that produces military equipment and components, the local government reported Tuesday.
The fire devastated 800 meters of NPO Avtomatiki, a subsidiary of local Russian company Roscosmos, before being extinguished, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said. Local media reported that the roof and walls of the building collapsed.
Factories dedicated to the production of essential parts of the Russian war apparatus continued to have a difficult month, with one of Russia’s largest military electronics brands burning in smoke in Yekaterimberg, the “NPO Avtomatiki” defense plant. pic. twitter . com/EO6yUVPbQ6
The plant develops and produces electronic systems for missile complexes and manufactures systems for Russian Soyuz-2 launchers, designed for missions in low Earth orbit.
There have been many mysterious fires in Russia since President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for the movements on Russian soil.
Photographs that circulated showed a huge column of black smoke rising into the air.
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said firefighters were rushing to put out a fire that engulfed a building “with chemicals. “
The cause of the fire is still unclear, but local publication E1 reported that welding work was being carried out when the fire broke out. “There may be two oxygen cylinders on site,” the site said.
The factory’s press service denied these reports and told the official Russian news agency RIA Novosti: “We have not yet commented on the reason. I can say that no welding work has been carried out. “
“According to initial information, the fire is of a domestic nature,” security forces told RIA Novosti.
No victims have been reported. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.
The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security of Ukraine (SPRAVDI) shared the fire on Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.
“Factories dedicated to the production of integral parts of the Russian war apparatus continued to enjoy a difficult month, with one of Russia’s largest military electronics brands going up in smoke in Ekaterimberg,” SPRAVDI wrote.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister, described Plant X as “one of the largest companies in the Russian Federation in the sector of development and production of electronic systems and equipment. “
Throughout the war, fires were reported in buildings related to the Russian army.
In June, a fire devastated a structure on the grounds of a company in Moscow that designs and manufactures some of Putin’s most complex military aircraft, Moscow newspaper MSK1 reported.
The publication quotes a witness who said that “the chimney stops” at the Sukhoi Design Bureau, whose headquarters are located in the Moscow region.
The Sukhoi Design Bureau is for many aircraft of the Russian army, adding the Su-25, Su-27, Su-28, Su-30 and the more complex Su-35 and Su-57.
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Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek journalist founded in Kuala Lumpur. It focuses on the war between Russia and Ukraine. Isabel joined Newsweek in 2021 and in the past worked with media outlets such as Daily Express, The Times, Harper’s BAZAAR, and Grazia. She holds a master’s degree in news journalism from City University of London and a bachelor’s degree in journalism. in Russian language at Queen Mary, University of London. Languages: English, Russian
You can contact Isabel by emailing i. vanbrugen@newsweek. com or by following her on X @isabelvanbrugen
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