In a bold escalation of the ongoing conflict, a Ukrainian drone targeted the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Russia’s Perm Krai region on September 13, 2025, striking deep into enemy territory over 1,800 kilometers from the border. The attack, confirmed by a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), hit the facility in the city of Gubakha, a key producer of urea used in ammonium-nitrate explosives for Russian artillery shells and mines. Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin reported the drone strike around 9:20 p.m. local time, stating no casualties occurred and operations resumed normally, but the incident underscores Ukraine’s expanding reach with long-range capabilities.
This strike is part of a broader wave of Ukrainian drone operations against Russian industrial sites. On the same day, drones also hit the Kirishi oil refinery in Leningrad Oblast, one of Russia’s largest, halting a key processing unit that accounts for 40% of its 400,000 barrels-per-day capacity. Fires broke out, and production damage could last weeks, according to industry sources. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the strikes as “effective sanctions” against Russia’s war machine, which has relied on such facilities to sustain its invasion now in its third year.
The attacks have intensified global anxieties about World War III, as NATO members like Poland report Russian drones violating airspace and Romania scrambles jets amid spillover risks. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 361 Ukrainian drones in 24 hours, while launching 84 Shahed-type drones at Ukraine overnight. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, warned of “predatory” escalation, urging de-escalation talks. With U.S. F-35s deploying to Puerto Rico near Venezuela—a Russian ally—the strikes signal a dangerous widening of fronts, raising fears of broader conflict.
