UP IN FLAMES
Moment raging inferno engulfs Russian ‘drone-making plant supplying Putin’s war in Ukraine’ after overnight strike
The moment raging fire engulfed the plant was caught in video above
RUSSIA was hit by a raging fire in a suspected military drone factory that supplies weapons to Putin's war in Ukraine.
Footage shows an inferno and extensive damage at the plant - which is believed to be linked to the Kalashnikov firearms manufacturer - in Russia's weapons-making city Izhevsk.
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The cause of the fire covering 37,700 square feet was unclear.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that over 100 people and 33 pieces of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire.
Russian arms plants and energy facilities have been hit recently by explosions caused by Ukrainian kamikaze drones, sabotage attacks, and mysterious “accidents”.
Reports said the site was last year given over to the production of drones for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
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Local media has previously reported that at least three shopping centres were converted into drone production facilities in Izhevsk.
This was reported as a production site for Granat-4 drones for the Russian defence ministry.
The drones were made by Izhevsk Unmanned Systems, a “daughter” company of the Kalashnikov empire.
There was opposition from residents to establishing a drone production base in the Izhevsk shopping centre.
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Chemical enterprise Izhsintez-Khimprom was also based at the scene of the inferno.
Izhevsk, with a population of 648,000, is famous for defence plants, especially Kalashnikov.
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The fire came on a night that Russian reported almost three dozen drone attacks in the Bryansk, Belgorod, and Kaluga regions.
Some 33 had been downed.
This came as Ukraine formally announced it was withdrawing forces from blitzed Avdiivka, in a significant gain on the frontline for Russia.
New Ukrainian commander in chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said: “Our soldiers performed their military duty with dignity, did everything possible to destroy the best Russian military units, [and] inflicted significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment…
“The life of military personnel is [of] the highest value.”
Russia was reported to be advancing by treading on the corpses of its fallen soldiers.
Ukraine said it was retreating to maintain strength and strike again at Russia.
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