Moscow reported the interception of 531 Ukrainian drones during an overnight campaign that struck the Novolipetsk Steel Plant in Lipetsk and the Novomoskovsk Azot chemical plant in Tula Oblast. At the Azot facility, one of Russia’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, the strikes caused a fire that damaged the AM-70 ammonia production unit and continued to burn into October 28.
The attacks mark a strategic shift in Kyiv’s long-range drone campaign toward the steel and chemical sectors, moving away from previous targets in the oil refining industry. The Azot plant, which produces ammonium nitrate and nitric acid for warhead manufacturing, has been targeted five times since May 2025, while the Novolipetsk plant is the largest steelmaking operation in Russia.
