It is unlikely that Ukrainian drones were involved in the explosion at Votkinsk Machine Building Plant near Izhevsk, Russia, which produces missiles for Iskander systems, given that it is located 1,200 km from Ukraine, the UK Defense Ministry said in a report on X (Twitter) on Feb. 9.
The Votkinsk Machine Building Plant produces nuclear weapons components and ballistic missiles, including the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
A powerful explosion rocked the suburbs of the city of Izhevsk in central Russia on Wednesday night, with state-run media reporting that the blast occurred at a machine and missile production facility. Videos shared on social media showed a large fireball lighting up the night sky over the testing grounds of the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in the village of Yagul, located just outside the republic of Udmurtia’s capital city, some 1,000 kilometers east of Moscow.
Footage shows the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant, which produces strategic rockets used in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, bursting into flames in the village of Yagul near Izhevsk.