Drones attack plant owned by Russia’s largest titanium producer in Perm Krai, media report

The Avisma chemical and metallurgical plant in Berezniki was reportedly targeted by drones. The facility is in Perm Krai, in northern Russia. The attack matters because Avisma makes materials used in military aircraft engines, and rocket and space technology.

Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin said an industrial facility sustained minor damage and continued operating normally. The Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ identified the facility as Avisma. Local residents also confirmed the attack in online chat rooms.

Preliminary information indicated that five plant employees were injured. Three of them were taken to hospital for examination. The reported damage was limited, and the article does not describe production stopping. It also notes another drone attack on an industrial complex in Omsk on the same Saturday.

Avisma is the chemical and metallurgical plant in Berezniki identified as the target of the reported drone attack. A plant of this kind uses industrial and chemical processes to make metals and metal-based materials. Those materials can then become parts, structures, or components in larger products.

The article says Avisma produces sponge titanium, metallic magnesium, and magnesium-based alloys. Its titanium output has a stated capacity of 44,000 metric tons per year. Magnesium capacity is listed at 60,000 metric tons per year. These products are used in military aircraft engines, and rocket and space technology.

This makes Avisma more than a local factory. It is part of a supply chain serving aerospace and defense production. The article reports that the plant employs over 7,100 people and continued operating normally after sustaining minor damage in the reported attack.

Avisma’s scale is visible in both its production figures and workforce. According to publicly available data cited in the article, the plant can produce 44,000 metric tons of sponge titanium each year. It can also produce 60,000 metric tons of metallic magnesium annually.

The plant additionally makes magnesium-based alloys. Its workforce exceeds 7,100 employees. These figures show that Avisma is not a small specialist workshop. It is a large industrial site with substantial output and a significant role in the local economy.

Its scale also helps explain why an incident there attracted attention beyond Berezniki. The plant supplies materials used in military aircraft engines, and rocket and space technology. Even though the reported damage was minor and operations continued normally, disruption at a facility of this size could matter to wider industrial supply chains.

VSMPO-Avisma Corporation owns the Avisma plant in Berezniki. The article describes the corporation as the world’s largest titanium producer. That position gives it an important place in the production and supply of titanium materials.

The corporation is also described as a key supplier of titanium to Russian defense-industry enterprises. Avisma’s products are used in military aircraft engines, and rocket and space technology. This connects the plant’s industrial output with Russia’s aerospace and defense manufacturing networks.

The reported drone attack therefore involved a facility with strategic industrial importance, not only a local employer. The governor said the damage was minor and that the facility continued normal operations. The article does not report any confirmed interruption to the corporation’s wider supply role.

Titanium is especially useful in aerospace because it offers a rare combination of low weight, high strength, and resistance to corrosion. It can help reduce the mass of aircraft and spacecraft while maintaining strong structures. Lighter vehicles can carry more payload or use energy more efficiently.

Titanium also performs well in demanding environments. Many titanium alloys retain useful strength at elevated temperatures, and titanium resists damage from corrosion. These qualities are important near aircraft engines, in airframes, and in rocket systems. The exact material choice depends on the component and operating conditions.

The article links Avisma’s products to military aircraft engines, and rocket and space technology. That connection makes titanium strategically important. The article does not explain titanium’s properties; these points are established materials science. It does show why a major titanium producer can matter to aerospace and defense supply chains.

Damage to one large titanium plant could matter beyond its workforce because the plant may supply many downstream industries. Titanium is used in aerospace structures, engines, and space systems. A disruption could therefore affect companies that depend on its metal, alloys, or intermediate products.

Avisma illustrates this concentration risk. The article identifies it as a major producer of sponge titanium, metallic magnesium, and magnesium-based alloys. It also describes its owner, VSMPO-Avisma, as the world’s largest titanium producer and a key supplier to Russian defense-industry enterprises. A problem at the site could create delays or force buyers to seek alternatives.

The reported incident did not produce that outcome: the governor said the facility sustained minor damage and operated normally. Still, the plant’s scale and defense connections make its status important to monitor. The article provides no evidence of broader supply disruption or production losses.

Titanium sponge is a porous, irregular form of titanium metal made during the industrial extraction of titanium. It is called sponge because its appearance is porous. It is not usually the final material used in aircraft or engines. Instead, it is an intermediate feedstock for making high-quality titanium metal.

The sponge is typically cleaned, selected, and compacted into electrodes. These electrodes are melted, often in a vacuum or controlled atmosphere, to produce titanium ingots. Repeated melting can improve uniformity. The ingots are then forged, rolled, or otherwise formed into products. Alloying elements can be added to create materials with targeted strength, heat resistance, or other properties.

The article lists Avisma’s sponge titanium capacity at 44,000 metric tons per year. It does not describe the processing stages, so this explanation uses established materials-science knowledge. The article does establish that Avisma’s products serve military aircraft, engines, and rocket and space technology.