06/26/2026
On the night of June 26, Russia’s Tula region came under a massive drone attack. Local residents claimed that the Azot plant in Novomoskovsk was the target of the attack, and they also complained about the smell of ammonia in the air.
The Russians also reported power outages, and NASA satellites recorded a fire at the Novomoskovsk power plant. The attack and its consequences were reported by the Telegram channel Exilenova+ and the independent Russian publication ASTRA.
What is known about the attack?
Exilenova+ reported that unknown drones flew over the Tula region for several hours. They targeted an important chemical plant in Novomoskovsk.
“The Tula region was under a very massive attack today. According to locals, the target of the attack was the Azot plant in Novomoskovsk. Explosions and UAV flights echoed in the city for several hours. Locals report a strange smell of ammonia in the air and problems with the power supply. Perhaps this is also the result of the work of the bombers,” the channel writes.
Some time later, Exilenova+ drew attention to the fact that after the night attack, the NASA FIRMS service recorded a fire on the territory of the Novomoskovskaya GRES.
ASTRA also reported on the strikes on the Azot plant .
“On the night of June 26, a large number of explosions were heard in the city. It is alleged that the Azot plant was attacked. Nothing is known about the consequences. Previously, the enterprise was already on fire as a result of a Ukrainian attack on the night of June 14,” Russian journalists noted.
After analyzing eyewitness footage online, the publication concluded that the smoke seen over Novomoskovsk is likely coming from the plant. In particular, one of the photos was taken approximately 8 km from the plant.
Tula Region Governor Dmitry Milyaev announced a “massive attack by Ukrainian UAVs” that led to “damage to power lines and an industrial enterprise in Novomoskovsk.”
“Emergency services are working on the scene,” the Russian official added.
The Azot plant in Novomoskovsk, which is part of the Eurochem holding, is Russia’s largest producer of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers. The company produces ammonia, nitric acid, methanol and mineral fertilizers, as well as chemical raw materials used for the production of explosives and ammunition.
Thus, as Reuters reported, two Eurochem plants (Nevinnomyssk Nitrogen Plant and Novomoskovsk Nitrogen) sent at least 38 thousand tons of acetic acid and almost five thousand tons of nitric acid to the Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod Region from 2022 to 2024. They, as the publication noted, are used to produce octogen and hexogen, which are needed for the manufacture of artillery shells.
As OBOZ.UA reported, the day before, on June 26, Reuters reported that Russia’s fourth-largest refinery had stopped operating after the Ukrainian strike. This is the Kstovsky oil refinery, located in the Nizhny Novgorod region of the aggressor country. It was attacked on June 24.
This enterprise is also the second-largest gasoline producer in the Russian Federation.
Also on June 24, gas processing and helium plants in Orenburg and the Vladimir Central Complex were hit in Russia.
And Russians should get used to such news, because the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new special operation against Russia the day before. The plan has been approved for the next 40 days.