24.12.2025
On the night of December 24, explosions were heard in the Tula region of the Russian Federation. A rubber factory was attacked in the city of Efremov, and a fire broke out on the territory of the enterprise.
Details are reported by the Telegram channel Exilenova+. The affected enterprise is critically important for the Russian “defense industry”.
What is known
The strike on the Yefremov synthetic rubber plant became known at around 3 a.m. Kyiv time. The plant is located in the city of Yefremov, Tula region, south of Tula and approximately 300 km from the Ukrainian border.
“Efremov, Tula region. Tonight, the Yefremov Synthetic Rubber Plant OJSC was attacked. NASA FIRMS satellites are also recording a fire on the territory of the enterprise,” the message states .
Exilenova+ published a video of an alleged strike on the aforementioned plant, as well as footage showing fire trucks rushing towards the plant.
The Russians recorded a fire on the territory of the enterprise after the strikes, as well as the arrivals themselves. According to local residents, there were at least ten
explosions.
The governor of the Tula region, Dmitry Milyaev, confirmed the consequences of the attack after 6 a.m. Kyiv time. However, the fire at the plant, according to him, was provoked by “debris.” The official also did not forget to praise the Russian air defense, which “shot down” 12 drones.
The Russian independent publication ASTRA geolocated the footage published online and concluded that the synthetic rubber plant located at 2 Budivelnykiv Street in Yefremov was indeed on fire.
The attacked Yefremov Synthetic Rubber Plant is a large producer of synthetic polymers. In particular, the enterprise produces:
- high molecular weight polyisobutylene;
- low molecular weight polyisobutylene;
- polyisobutylene thickening additives;
- 1,4-cis-butadiene low molecular weight rubber SKDN-N;
- 1,2-vinyl butadiene low molecular weight rubber SKDSN;
- low molecular weight polyisoprene NMPI.
In Russia, this enterprise is the only producer of high-molecular and low-molecular polyisobutylene , which has unique properties and is used in various industries. Synthetic rubber and polyisobutylene are among the materials that are part of many defense products. And this makes the affected enterprise critically important for the Russian “defense industry.”
First of all, this concerns the production of tires for military trucks, wheeled armored personnel carriers, and aviation equipment.
Also important for the Russian occupation army are polyisobutylene additives, which are produced by the plant. They are a key component for the creation of special fuels and lubricants and hydraulic fluids that ensure the operation of tank engines, infantry fighting vehicles and artillery tractors. In addition, the plant’s products are used to manufacture sealants, insulating materials for military electronics and anti-corrosion coatings for weapons.
Earlier, OBOZ.UA reported that the SBU hit an Il-38N naval reconnaissance aircraft in Novorossiysk. The attack on it preceded the hit on a submarine of the aggressor state. The mentioned aircraft could have harmed the destruction of the submarine, so it was hit during the preparation stage for the main part of the operation.