Russia Denies Izhevsk ‘Emergency’ As Videos Show Fireball Over ICBM Plant
Russian authorities have denied reports of an emergency situation in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, despite videos circulating online showing a massive fireball over a weapons plant that manufactures components for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
On Wednesday, a massive explosion rocked the Votkinsk weapons factory, which is responsible for producing weapons such as the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and strategic ballistic missiles for systems like Topol-M and Iskander. The facility is located approximately 30 miles away from Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurt Republic.
Videos captured by local residents revealed a huge fireball illuminating the area and a bright glow in the sky. Witnesses reported hearing explosions before the fire broke out, but it remains unclear if there were any casualties.
In response to the incident, the head of the Udmurt Republic dismissed claims of an emergency situation on the territory. Russian officials stated that the explosion was the result of a scheduled test of rocket engines and was not classified as an emergency.
However, the absence of any official notification on Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations’ website raised doubts about the planned nature of the event. Independent Russian news outlet Mediazona reported that an initial message denying the explosion was later deleted, and another post emphasized the absence of any abnormal situations or socially significant incidents.
Newsweek has reached out to Russia’s Defense Ministry for further clarification on the incident.
While no entity has claimed responsibility, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, pointed out that the weapons plant is subject to EU sanctions due to its production of missiles and ammunition for Iskander and Tochka-U systems. Ukraine has traditionally refrained from commenting on attacks that occur on Russian soil.
In recent weeks, drone attacks within Russia have increased, predominantly targeting oil hubs and refineries. Last month, an alleged drone strike caused a massive fire at a major export-oriented oil refinery owned by Rosneft in the southern Russian town of Tuapse, situated along the Black Sea coast.
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