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Ukrainian drones have struck the Aleksinsky chemical plant, which produces gunpowder and ammunition for the Russian military, in Russia's Tula Oblast, sources at the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent on Nov. 9.
The SBU sources said at least 13 drones flew at the plant overnight, and orange smoke erupted due to the gunpowder at the site.
"The plant itself was shut down, and personnel evacuated," the sources said, adding that a 110 kV was damaged and confirming that the gunpowder production facility was the target.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Nov. 9 that Ukraine had attacked seven Russian regions – including Tula Oblast – with 50 drones. Moscow claimed that it had shot down all 50 drones, including two over Tula Oblast, which is located south of Moscow.
According to the SBU sources, air alerts began at 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 8, and local residents started reporting explosions at 3 a.m. There was another explosion at around 1 p.m. due to the chemicals catching fire, the source added.
"The destruction of weapons depots, military airfields and enterprises that are part of the Russian military-industrial complex reduces Russia's ability to terrorize our country,” the SBU sources said.
Despite being limited to the use of long-range kamikaze drones, Kyiv has scored some spectacular success in recent weeks.
One of the largest explosions of the full-scale invasion saw, in the words of a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) source, an ammunition warehouse "literally wiped off the face of the earth" in Tver Oblast last month.
This came just days after Ukraine confirmed attacks on two other arms depots, with the U.K. Defense Ministry saying that the combined strikes caused "the largest loss of ammunition" in Russia during its all-out war against Ukraine.
Asami Terajima
