In a tragic incident, a powerful explosion rocked a factory near Moscow, claiming the life of one woman and leaving more than 50 individuals injured.
The explosion occurred at a warehouse within the premises of the Zagorsk optics manufacturing plant in the city of Sergiyev Posad.
Reports indicate that the blast's shockwave shattered windows in nearby buildings, causing extensive damage to residential apartments, two schools, and a sports complex.
Videos circulating online captured a massive plume of smoke billowing from the factory, creating a distressing scene.
Moscow's state governor, Andrey Vorobyov, took to Telegram to provide updates on the situation. He revealed that six people were in intensive care due to severe injuries sustained in the explosion.
Initial speculations suggesting a drone attack were quickly dismissed by investigators. Pro-Kremlin commentators had fueled this theory, but official sources contradicted these claims.
The explosion's cause was attributed to a warehouse containing fireworks, located on the factory grounds.
The factory had previously been associated with the manufacturing of military equipment, including night vision goggles.
This explosion coincided with the aftermath of Russia's defense ministry reporting the downing of two drones near Moscow.
One of the drones was taken down in close proximity to the airport. The Russian government pointed fingers at Ukraine, accusing the country of orchestrating these drone attacks.
However, Ukraine has neither admitted to involvement in the drone incidents nor claimed any responsibility for the warehouse explosion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while not directly addressing the factory explosion, has previously stated that attacks on Russian territory are a part of an "inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process."