Explosions rock 2 Russian gunpowder factories as fire breaks out

Prefer on Google by Anastasiia Verzun A column of smoke rises above the site where a gunpowder factory is reportedly located in the city of Samara, Russia, following an explosion on April 15, 2026. (Exilenova+/Telegram) Explosions and fires broke out at Russian gunpowder factories in the Tatarstan Republic and Samara Oblast, both occurring over the past day, Russian independent outlet Astra reported. Explosions were reported in Kazan, Tatarstan , around 7 p.m. local time on April 14, while a similar incident occurred near Samara the following day at around 1 p.m. local time. Ukraine had not commented on the explosions at the factories, which are involved in supplying gunpowder to the Russian military , at the time of publication. The first explosion occurred at the Kazan Gunpowder Plant, which produces gunpowder for small arms and artillery, in Kazan's Kirovskiy district, according to local media outlet KazanFirst . Local authorities later said the incident caused a building collapse at the facility, allegedly triggered by a malfunction in the pressure relief valve. One person was killed in the explosion, and two others were hospitalized with burns and other injuries, pro-government news agency Interfax Russia reported, citing Russia's Health Ministry. The second explosion occurred at the state-owned Kommunar plant in the village of Petra Dubrava in Russia's Samara Oblast. The plant is part of the defense-industrial complex and produces ammunition and related components, including gunpowder, according to Astra . Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev also said a fire broke out in one of the buildings at an industrial facility, though he did not specify which one. Fedorishchev added that the fire was extinguished without any casualties. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims made by Russian authorities. Another explosion occurred on April 10 at a fireworks warehouse in Vladikavkaz in southern Russia, killing two people. Russia's Investigative Committee later opened a criminal case in connection with the incident over the provision of unsafe services.