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Ukrainian drone hits chemical plant in Russia's Perm Krai 1,800 km from border, media reports

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Ukrainian drone hits chemical plant in Russia's Perm Krai 1,800 km from border, media reports
The Metafrax Chemicals plant in Perm Krai, Russia. The factory was allegedly struck by a Ukrainian drone on Sept. 13, 2025. (Screenshot / Astra)

Editor's Note: This is a developing story.

A Ukrainian drone struck the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Russia's Perm Krai the evening of Sept. 13, the Russian opposition news channel Astra reported, citing footage from local residents.

Perm Krai lies over 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border.

At around 9:20 p.m. local time on Sept. 13, Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin reported that a Ukrainian drone had hit an industrial enterprise in the city of Gubakha. He did not disclose details about the identity of the enterprise.

There were no casualties and the enterprise continues to operate normally, Makhonin claimed.

Astra later identified the target as the Metafrax Chemicals plant, a major complex located in Gubakha.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication.

In 2023, the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Gubakha launched a new Ammonia-Urea-Melamine (AUM) production facility that reportedly produced 300,000 tons of ammonia in its first eight months. The company has been sanctioned by the U.K. and Ukraine.

Ukraine regularly launches long-range drone attacks on industrial and military targets in Russian territory. Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) carried out a drone strike on Sept. 12 on a major oil refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan Republic, 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the border, according to intelligence sources.

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Abbey Fenbert

Senior News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.

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"Russian military personnel know exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can stay in the air," President Volodymyr Zelensky said, commenting on the attacks. "The routes are always calculated. This cannot be an accident, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders."

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