Map Shows Record Industrial Fires Engulfed Russia in Past Year

A record number of industrial fires engulfed Russia in the past year, according to data from an open-source intelligence agency.

There were 939 fires in Russia in 2023, compared to 416 in 2022, meaning that the number of blazes in the country increased by 125.7 percent last year compared to the previous year, Molfar found.

Molfar noted that there was also a 24.5 percent increase in fires in 2022—the year the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began—compared to 2021.

On January 13, a huge fire ripped through a warehouse belonging to one of Russia’s biggest online retailers in St. Petersburg. The blaze was the latest major unexplained fire in Russia, including ones at sensitive facilities, since the war began.

Fires and explosions have also broken out at Russia’s largest chemical plant, and at storage depots, a defense research site, at military facilities, and more.

Russia typically does not comment on the cause of these mysterious blazes, but has sought to blame partisans or Ukrainian “saboteurs.” Kyiv rarely claims responsibility for incidents on Russian soil.

A map created for Newsweek by Molfar shows that from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, the largest number of fires occurred in the region of Moscow (156), with other notable regions including Leningrad (78), Sverdlovsk (53), Rostov (44), and Nizhny Novgorod (37).

Although Leningrad changed its name back to St. Petersburg in 1991, the region, or oblast, around the city retained its Soviet-era name.

Similary, the city of Yekaterinburg lies in Sverdlovsk region, which was the name of the former during Soviet times.

In Moscow, there were 75 fires at storage facilities, 43 at factories, 28 and shopping malls, five at energy facilities, two at oil factories, and one each at a gas pipeline, a logistic facility, and a military factory.

In 2023 alone, the most significant increase in the number of fires was seen at factories (357) and warehouse facilities (357). An increase in the number of blazes was also recorded in shopping malls (130), Molfar found.

Molfar, which closely analyzes the war in Ukraine, provides regular in-depth reports on the war. In August 2023, satellite photos sent to Newsweek by the agency revealed that strikes by Ukraine last July on the strategically vital Kerch Strait Bridge in annexed Crimea damaged its crucial railway, contrary to Russian claims that the attack affected only the roadway on spans of the structure.

In December, a fire ripped through a facility in Russia believed to be linked to the logistics of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A clip circulated on Telegram showing flames and smoke coming from a site on Otkrytoye Road in Moscow, located about 10 miles northeast of the Kremlin.

A week earlier, footage shared on social media showed a blaze engulf the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant which was hit with U.S. sanctions because it built and maintained main battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery systems.

The agency’s analysts noted that these blazes have caused Russia million-dollar losses and have seriously impacted the country’s economy, disrupting production processes and commercial activities.

“As a result, critical infrastructure, including industrial facilities and warehouses, was destroyed, leading to production and logistics losses,” Molfar said.

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