A powerful explosion was reported in Russia's Udmurt Republic at a weapons plant that produces nuclear weapons components and ballistic missiles, local media reported on Wednesday.
Residents shared videos of the blast that is reported on social media platform Telegram to have occurred on the grounds of the Votkinsk weapons factory. The factory is located some 30 miles from the capital of the Udmurt Republic, Izhevsk.
The weapons factory produces nuclear weapons components and ballistic missiles, including the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and strategic ballistic missiles for the Topol-M and Iskander systems, the Kyiv Post reported.
The incident was reported by Russian state-run news agency Tass, which said a local emergency services agency announced that the blast was caused by "a scheduled test of rocket engines," calling it "a planned event, not an emergency."
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) noted that there was no mention of a scheduled test on the website of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations, where such notices are typically posted.
According to independent Russian news outlet Mediazona, at about 11 p.m. local time, the official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for Russia's Udmurtia Republic wrote: "The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia does not confirm a powerful explosion on the territory of the Votkinsk plant near Izhevsk."
The publication reported that this message was deleted a few minutes later. A half-hour later, the ministry published another post, which said: "No emergency or abnormal situations have been registered on the territory of the Udmurt Republic, no socially significant incidents have occurred."
After the blast, a massive fire broke out at the plant
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