Three Russian Chemical Plants Hit By Emergencies in Single Day
April 4, 2025
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Three chemical plants in Russia had to deal with emergencies in just one day, with at least two left without electricity as three people were reported injured.
Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, via email, for comment.
What To Know
Two incidents affected three chemical plants on Thursday – a JSC Apatit plant, in the Balakovsky district of the Saratov region, the Soda electrical substation and the Soda-Chlorate and the Berezniki Soda Plant (BSZ), in Perm Krai, in the city of Berezniki.
An ammonia leak occurred at the JSC Apatit plant, leaving three people injured, the mining and chemical company told Russian broadcaster RenTV.
Meanwhile, a fire broke out at the Soda electrical substation, the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported. The transformer was burning, and the roof partially collapsed on Thursday evening. No casualties were reported.
More than 40 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the flames.
Given that the Soda electrical substation supplies power to the Soda-Chlorate and Berezniki Soda Plant (BSZ), the BSZ was also affected by the fire and both sites were left without power.
BSZ is oldest producer of soda ash and one of the largest chemical plants in Russia, with an annual production volume of 12.6 million tons, according to its website.
The head of Berezniki, Aleksey Kazachenko, said there was no threat of power outages in residential areas nearby.
Why It Matters
Fires, and other similar emergencies, have struck numerous sites in Russia over the course of the war in incidents that have prompted speculation of sabotage attacks and insurgencies linked to the war in Ukraine.
The latest spate of emergencies comes days after reports of at least two people being killed after another massive fire broke out at a shipbuilding site in northern Russia.
The cause of the fire at the shipbuilding site and at the chemical plants is not yet known and is still being investigated.
What People Are Saying
The Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Telegram: “In Perm Krai, the Russian Emergencies Ministry is extinguishing a major fire in the city of Berezniki, a transformer is burning at an industrial enterprise. The roof has partially collapsed. According to preliminary data, there are no casualties. More than 40 specialists and 16 pieces of equipment are extinguishing the fire.”
Aleksey Kazachenko said the situation in Berezniki was “under control” after the fire, which he attributed to a “technical malfunction” that was dealt with after firefighting units arrived at the scene.
What Happens Next
The full extent of the damage caused to these plants is yet to be seen. The causes of the incidents are being investigated.
A screengrab of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s video showing a fire at a chemical plant. A screengrab of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s video showing a fire at a chemical plant. Russian Emergencies Ministry
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