Ukraine says it launched drone attack on Russian chemical plant
By Victoria Butenko and Sophie Tanno, CNN
(CNN) — Ukraine launched a drone attack on a Russian chemical plant in the western city of Tula overnight on Friday into Saturday, according to the country’s security service. Russian authorities have not acknowledged the attack.
According to the SBU, Aleksinsky chemical plant was hit by at least 13 Ukrainian drones, resulting in explosions and clouds of smoke following the attack. Staff were evacuated.
The key target, the gunpowder production shop, was emitting orange smoke due to the release of acids, the SBU said. A source also confirmed damage to the Aleksinskaya thermal power plant. saying that a 110 kV power transmission line was damaged.
Social media footage verified by CNN shows the attack on Aleksinsky chemical plant, which lies around 120 miles (200 km) south of Moscow, launched by Ukraine’s SBU Security Service and Special Operations Forces.
The plant produces gunpower and ammunition for the Russian army, according to the SBU. The attack set off air raid alarms in various regions of Russia from around 9.30 p.m. local time, it said.
The security service is carrying out a “comprehensive operation” against facilities in Russian territory that are involved in the war in Ukraine, a source in the SBU said.
“The destruction of weapons depots, military airfields and enterprises that are part of the Russian military industry reduces Russia’s ability to terrorize our country,” the source added.
The governor of Tula region, Dmitriy Miliayev, said a drone attack overnight from Ukraine was foiled by Russia, but did not mention the chemical plant, in a statement on Saturday.
Miliayev said an “enemy UAV attack was foiled by air defense units of the Russian Ministry of Defense in the Tula region overnight.”
The governor added that falling debris damaged the glazing of a private house and there were no causalities. “The situation is under control.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense said: “During the past night, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using airplane-type UAVs against facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation was foiled.”
The-CNN-Wire
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