Photo by protambov.ru
On the night of June 11, Ukrainian drones struck the Tambov Gunpowder Plant in Kotovsk, Russia. According to the Telegram channel Novosti Tambova i Oblasti, a large fire broke out on the plant’s grounds, with sirens heard across the city. Locals noticed a UAV flying over Kotovsk. Air defense systems attempted to shoot it down, but failed. The drone “struck the gunpowder plant,” causing what eyewitnesses described as “a terrifying blaze.”
The drone strike on Kotovsk was confirmed by Yevgeny Pervyshov, the acting governor of Russia’s Tambov Region.
He reported that a mass drone attack by the Ukrainian “regime” on Kotovsk had been repelled during the night of June 11, but did not specify which facility was targeted. “One of the downed UAVs crashed, causing a fire, which was extinguished by firefighting units. There were no casualties,” Pervyshov wrote.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported that by 7 a.m. on June 11, air defense systems had destroyed 32 Ukrainian drones, including 16 in the Voronezh Region, eight in the Kursk Region, five in the Tambov Region, two in the Rostov Region, and one over the Black Sea near the coast of annexed Crimea.
The Tambov Gunpowder Plant was last attacked by drones on May 29. The strike set fire to the warehouse roof, and employees had to be evacuated. The facility was also targeted this past January, and several times in 2024 and 2023. One of the attacks resulted in an explosion that killed four people. The plant in Kotovsk is Russia's largest producer of gunpowder for small arms and artillery ammunition.