An alleged series of explosions that rocked one of Russia’s largest chemical plants on the border with Ukraine has led to rumors that other Russian facilities have been hit in the past few days.
Pro-Ukrainian eastern European news outlet Nexta said on Monday that residents heard explosions before a fire started at the state-owned Kamensky plant in the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky.
Now, a video shared on social media suggests a Russian ammunition powder plant is the latest facility to have been damaged, allegedly in a strike using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images
The Claim
A post on X, formerly Twitter, by Ukraine commentator Dr. Khaled Alfaiomi, posted on January 19, 2024, included a video of what looked like the remains of a factory building.
Alfaiomi said: “A drone attacked the Tambov Powder Plant in Russia during the night. #UkraineRussianWar #Ukraine.”
The Facts
There were unverified reports on Friday that the Tambov Gunpowder Plant, in the Tambov region of Russia, had been hit in a Ukrainian strike this week.
However, the video is not of that explosion or any explosion at a Russian ammunition powder plant. The incident in the film took place more than five years ago at a fireworks factory outside of St. Petersburg.
A report by U.S. government-funded media outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, from October 20, 2018, supported by similar reporting by the BBC, stated the explosion occurred at the Avangard Factory, Gatchina, 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of St. Petersburg.
Quoting Russian state-run news agency TASS, it said four people were killed, with between three to seven injuries, including a 13-year-old girl. A probe was said to have been launched into breaches of safety rules; Newsweek was unable to find the report online or whether it had been completed.
OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images
In any case, the explosion had nothing to do with a UAV strike and it was not a production factory for ammunition, munition powder or other weaponry.
The Rostov factory where explosions were reported earlier this week produces “special-purpose chemical products” for Russia’s military aimed at “strengthening the country’s defensive capabilities.”
The chemical plant’s management denied reports of explosions at the facility, local news agency DON 24 reported.
“All reports from unfriendly sources are untrue,” a spokesperson said, adding that the plant is operating normally, and that authorities will do everything to ensure that the enterprise continues to operate as normal.
The Ruling
False.
The video does not show the aftermath of a UAV strike on a gunpowder factory. It is footage of an explosion at a fireworks factory outside Saint Petersburg in October 2018. The blast killed four people.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek’s Fact Check team
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.