Russia in flames as major fire erupts at plant making electronics for Putin’s war | World | News
The fire that broke out in an industrial zone in the city of Saransk, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Mordovia, on Saturday, February 21, dealt a new blow to Vladimir Putin’s war efforts. According to reports on social media, the fire occurred at Electrovypryamitel, one of the country’s largest manufacturers of power electronics for the Russian armed forces.
The fire broke out in Saransk at around 10 a.m. local time, and the regional emergency ministry said it occurred near the Saransk Tool-Making Plant, a defense industrial facility on Vasenko Street, with no cause given. However, authorities announced that a drone alert was issued in the region a few hours ago, but it was later removed at 10.30. The fire spread to a workshop at the facility and covered an area of 1,165 square meters (150 m2).
Two hours later, the emergency ministry reported that the fire was local and no one was injured.
Local residents told the Russian Astra Telegram channel that the fire occurred at the facilities of Electrovypryamitel PJSC, one of Russia’s largest manufacturers of power electronics for the Russian armed forces. They also suggested that the facility may have been hit by drones.
Astra analyzed eyewitness footage showing a large column of black smoke and concluded that the fire was Electrovypryamitel. The company manufactures rectifiers, inverters, power supplies, converters and other special electrical equipment. Due to Russia’s participation in state defense orders, it is subject to sanctions by the USA, Canada, the EU, the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand and Japan.
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According to sources, Electrovypryamitel has a license to develop and assemble semiconductor power devices for weapons and military equipment in the Military Register system. It also has official permission from the State Nuclear Supervision Agency (Gosatomnadzor) to design and manufacture equipment for nuclear power plants.
Also Saturday afternoon, Ukrainian drones struck an industrial zone deep within Russia that a Russian news channel said was a major state-owned missile factory. According to a Telegram post by local health minister Sergei Bagin, the attack took place in Russia’s Udmurt Republic and injured 11 people, three of whom were hospitalized.
Unofficial Russian news channel Telegram Astra said the attack targeted the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant, which is located more than 870 km away from Ukraine and produces nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as Iskander ballistic missiles often used in attacks against Ukraine. Other Russian news channels published videos and photos they said came from Votkinsk residents showing black smoke rising from an industrial area and windows of buildings exploding.
