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Three people have been killed following a powerful explosion at a chemical factory in southern Russia, the regional governor, Radiy Khabirov, confirmed on Saturday.
The cause of the blast remains under investigation.
The incident occurred at the Avangard plant in Sterlitamak, located in the Bashkortostan region.
According to Russian media, the facility manufactures weapons and ammunition used in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Governor Khabirov said on Telegram that “a pretty explosion destroyed one of the buildings” at the site, resulting in the deaths of three women.
He hinted that five other people were injured and taken to the hospital, with two of them in serious condition.
Khabirov described the factory as one that “carries out an important state-mandated mission” and handles “explosive materials.”
He noted that experts were currently assessing the cause of the blast.
The explosion comes a month after Ukrainian drones struck a major oil refinery in the same region, which is operated by Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy giant.
The September 18 drone attack formed part of a wider Ukrainian campaign aimed at disrupting Russian energy production and revenue streams supporting the war effort.
At the time, Khabirov confirmed that two drones had hit the refinery, causing limited damage. Authorities have not linked the latest explosion to Ukraine’s earlier attacks.
