On 7 February, a powerful blast ripped through the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant military range outside Izhevsk, Russia. The plant manufactures missile engines and strategic ballistic missiles for the Topol-M and Iskander systems. Huge fires broke out following the blasts, locally visible for miles.
Frequent explosions at Russian military and weapons factories fueling Putin's Ukraine invasion are believed to be caused by Ukrainian drones. Although Ukraine never officially claims responsibility for any specific attack, these explosions highlight Russian vulnerability and disrupt its military industry supporting the war effort.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1755307378935762953
No official statements have yet emerged. However, Russian state news agency TASS reported the explosion supposedly took place during “planned missile engine tests”.
The Votkinsk Plant lies just outside Izhevsk, a city 600 kilometers east of Moscow in Russia's Udmurt Republic. It produces artillery and strategic ballistic missiles for Topol-M and Iskander complexes. Late last year, Votkinsk Plant released 19 state contracts related to manufacturing nuclear weapon components. The facility hosts a testing range on-site.
Read more:
- Fire breaks out in Russian polymer plant after explosion
- Explosion rocks St. Petersburg oil refinery in reported Ukraine intel’s attack
- Ukrainska Pravda: SBU behind explosion on Russia's strategic railway leading to China
