ST. PETERSBURG, June 25. /TASS/. Sibur-Kstovo, a Nizhny Novgorod Region-based plant operated by Russian petrochemical giant Sibur, is currently running at full capacity after a serious drone attack, CEO Mikhail Karisalov told TASS in an interview at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
The plant was attacked by drones in late January. "Thank God, we managed to cope with this challenge. The equipment was partly damaged, but no people were injured. This is the most important thing. Secondly, the plant is now operating in the full cycle, without any restrictions for enterprises who receive supplies from it like [RusVinyl and Sibur-Neftekhim - TASS]," Karisalov said.
The plant is involved in making hexene, a semi-product for base polymers and other petrochemicals. It is used in the production of high and low density polyethylene and is a required component when making special grades of this polymer.
On the night of January 29, drone fragments fell on the territory of Sibur-Kstovo after the UAVs were intercepted, causing a fire at the plant. The blaze was finally extinguished on February 1. In the immediate aftermath, the plant’s key production units were switched to standby mode and product shipments were temporarily suspended.
"Let’s be frank here. This was a terrorist attack against a plant where hundreds of people work. Thousands of people live in the surrounding area. The plant is a purely peaceful one, making products for their further conversion into synthetic materials for medicine, public utilities and construction. Therefore, it was an absolutely terroristic assault, there’s no other way to call it," the chief executive stressed.