Explosions at Kazan gunpowder plant - witness reports

That’s according to the Astra Telegram channel, Ukrinform saw.

Residents of the city of Kazan reported that the explosions were heard from the moment of the drone attack earlier on Saturday.

At the same time, the Kazan Gunpowder Plant claims that scheduled tests are being conducted at the facility, which were allegedly to last until 16:00 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Tatarstan authorities on December 21 introduced a state of emergency for local government agencies and units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as per local media reports.

The corresponding decree was signed by the President of the region, Rustam Minnikhanov.

“The state of emergency is required to promptly eliminate the consequences in accordance with the law. This document applies exclusively to those who are currently engaged in eliminating the consequences of the UAV attack,” said Liliya Galimova, head of Minnikhanov’s press service.

As Ukrinform reported, earlier on Saturday, the “Carpet” protocol was initiated across Tatarstan, implying the closure of airspace.

The press service of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov stated that, according to the latest reports, a total of eight drone hits were confirmed in the region, while it is claimed that an industrial enterprise was hit, one drone was likely shot down over a river, and another six hit a residential area.

Later, local authorities announced the cancellation of all mass events in Tatarstan over the weekend in order to ensure security.