Drones attacked Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region
On the night of Thursday, 30 April, drones attacked the city of Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Air defence forces were deployed in the city, and local residents heard a series of explosions of varying intensity, totalling at least 20–25.
Three waves of strikes were also reported, citing residents’ accounts. According to Telegram channels, the target of the attack may have been the Sverdlov Explosives Plant, located in Dzerzhinsk and one of the largest explosives manufacturing facilities in Russia. Photos and videos from eyewitnesses show smoke rising in the area around the plant. However, it is impossible to determine exactly what caught fire from these images.
Explosions have also been reported in the southern and central parts of the town of Kstovo, located near Nizhny Novgorod. No official information regarding casualties or damage has been received.
Infrastructure in the Nizhny Novgorod region has been repeatedly targeted during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. On 20 October 2024, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Sverdlov Plant had been hit. A year later, explosions were heard again in Dzerzhinsk and Nizhny Novgorod.
In November 2025, the industrial zone of Dzerzhinsk may have been the target of a drone attack. Also, on 5 April, fires broke out at two facilities belonging to the company ‘Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez’ in the region. At the same time, the Novogorkovskaya Thermal Power Plant and several residential buildings were damaged. According to Governor Gleb Nikitin, the damage was caused by debris from downed drones; there were no casualties.
