UPDATE - 7 killed, 10 injured in Ukraine's drone attack on Russia's fertilizer plant in Smolensk region

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE, ADDS RUSSIAN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE STATEMENT

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Seven people were killed and 10 others injured in Ukraine's drone attack on a civilian industrial enterprise producing nitrogen fertilizers in Russia's Smolensk region, the Russian Investigative Committee said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the committee said it opened a criminal case under the "terrorist attack" article of the Criminal Code.

According to the investigation, Ukraine's troops launched at least 30 unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosive devices on the chemical plant Dorogobuzh located in the Smolensk region.

"As a result of the detonation of the explosive devices, civilians were injured: 7 people died, and at least 10 were wounded," it said.

Smolensk Governor Vasily Anokhin earlier said on Telegram that the region faced a massive overnight drone attack from Ukraine. He said 14 of the drones were shot down.

"The opponent struck a civilian industrial enterprise producing nitrogen fertilizers, the Dorogobuzh Plant," he said, calling it a "barbaric terrorist attack."

The injured, he added, were taken to a medical facility and are receiving necessary assistance.

"Rescuers are working at the scene and have localized the fires. To minimize potential threats to the population, the evacuation of residents from the nearby locality is being considered,” Anokhin said, pledging to provide all necessary assistance to the families of the injured and deceased.

In a separate statement, the Defense Ministry confirmed 14 drones were shot down over the Smolensk region overnight. A Russian air threat monitoring resource, Lpr 1, declared a "red level" drone attack danger at 5 am Moscow time (GMT0200).

Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform confirmed the attack on the Dorogobuzh plant.

Citing Andriy Kovalenko of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council think tank, the news agency claimed that the Dorogobuzh Thermal Power Plant supports chemical production, which is critical to Russia's defense industry.