The headquarters of Russia's Rostec state conglomerate in Moscow on September 16, 2020. (Photo by Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)
An explosion reported at an Avangard plant in Bashkortostan, Russia, killed three people, RFE/RL reported on Aug. 5. The plant belongs to Rostec, the Russian state-owned arms manufacturer.
According to reports, the explosion occurred after a repair crew dismantled a pipeline in one of the workshops. All three crew members died.
The Russian Investigative Committee said the workers may have violated safety guidelines when cutting the pipes.
The cause of the incident is still being investigated.
The plant reportedly produces parts for multiple launch rocket systems. Rostec is currently under EU sanctions.
Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
