Jan. 28, 2026

Firefighters extinguished a blaze that broke out earlier Wednesday at the former Volkswagen factory in the Kaluga region.

Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said the fire erupted at a foam recycling workshop inside the Tenet automobile plant, which manufactures Chinese vehicles. A company spokesperson said no one was injured.

Unconfirmed reports suggested the facility was forced to halt operations following the fire.

Volkswagen sold the Kaluga plant to Russian automotive group AGR Holding after exiting the country. Last year, AGR partnered with Chinese automaker Defetoo to begin production of vehicles under the Tenet brand.

The Kaluga factory manufactured around 50,000 Tenet crossovers and SUVs between August and December 2025.

Tenet held its first annual press conference on Tuesday, announcing plans to capture at least 10% of Russia’s projected 1.4 million-vehicle market.

Most major international automakers halted operations in Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

(c)THE MOSCOW TIMES 2026