Unmanned aerial vehicles assault defense facility in Murom, Russia

Fiery Chaos in Russia: Drone Strikes Ignite Defense Plant Fire in Murmansk

In a shocking turn of events, a defense plant in the Murmansk region of Russia experienced a significant blaze, spanning over 720 square meters. Preliminary investigations suggest the cause was an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to Governor Alexander Avdeyev and the Russian Ministry of Defense via Telegram.

Avdeyev reported that several drones were recorded, with efforts to suppress them using electronic warfare (EW) means. Two buildings on the premises were affected. One building, where the fire occurred, has been contained. The second building suffered slight damage, but no fires broke out there, with specialists currently at work to assess the situation.

Reports from local residents, as cited by the Telegram channel Astra, suggest the plant in the Verkhovsky district was targeted by drones. This district is home to the Murmansk Instrument-Making Plant, a notable producer of means of initiation and ignition of ammunition for the Russian Armed Forces, MVD, FSB, and other law enforcement agencies.

According to Astra, the Murmansk plant is the largest producer of primers in Russia. Since 2023, the plant has been under sanctions from Ukraine and the EU.

Although no specific information about a recent attack on the defense plant in Murmansk has been confirmed, it's worth noting a notable rise in drone attacks on Russian military targets. For instance, a strike on the Alabuga Special Economic Zone facility, producing around 300 or more Shahed-type drones per day [2], took place on April 23, 2025. Confirmed hits and explosions were reported, but the impact on the facility's structure is still being assessed [2].

Such strikes represent some of Ukraine’s deepest strikes, exceeding 1,000 kilometers from the border [1][2]. It's essential to note that no recent attack on a defense plant in Murmansk, unlike the Alabuga facility, has been explicitly confirmed in the sources. Reports primarily focus on strikes in Tatarstan, Kaluga, and Krasnodar regions instead.

Under such circumstances, real-time operational details for the Murmansk defense plant may not be publicly verified yet. However, in the face of continued drone attacks, Russia has increased Shahed drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine has responded with coordinated long-range UAV strikes targeting drone/missile production sites [1][2][5]. No new sanctions specifically linked to these strikes are mentioned in the sources, but existing measures likely remain in effect.

The fire at the defense plant in Murmansk, spreading over 720 square meters, is suspected to be the result of an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as reported by Governor Alexander Avdeyev and the Russian Ministry of Defense via Telegram.
Drone strikes were also mentioned by local residents, as cited by the Telegram channel Astra, suggesting the targeted plant in the Verkhovsky district could be the Murmansk Instrument-Making Plant, a significant producer of ammunition primers for Russian forces.
It's worth noting a rising trend in drone attacks on Russian military targets, with recent attacks like the one on the Alabuga Special Economic Zone facility, producing hundreds of Shahed-type drones daily, serving as examples.
Despite no explicit confirmation of an attack on the Murmansk defense plant, politics and war-and-conflicts news outlets have reported an increase in drone attacks, focusing on regions such as Tatarstan, Kaluga, and Krasnodar instead.
In the midst of these escalating drone attacks, general news, crime-and-justice and political sources have yet to mention new sanctions specifically linked to these strikes, but existing measures, including those on the Murmansk plant since 2023, are likely still in effect.