Media reports and civilian-captured videos and photos started to surface the day of the accident, April 26. The incident would have been far less notable if not for the type of weaponry that the Krasmash factory produces. The factory reportedly makes the new Russian hypersonic RS-28 “Sarmat” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) (which carries the NATO reporting name of “SS-X-30 Satan 2”), the same weapon that Putin leveraged to threaten the United States in March 2018. According to some sources, the Sarmat missile was planned for deployment in May 2019.

Even though reports claimed that the parts of the complex producing the ICBMs were unaffected by fire, they did so without evidence. No follow-up media reports have been made after the accident either. The DFRLab examined available open-source data and assessed the damage to the complex.

As the fire swept through the Krasmash factory complex in Izhevsk, on April 26, locals took pictures and videos from the ground, making this analysis possible.

A tweet featuring a video from Izhevsk, showing the fumes rising from the Krasmash factory complex. (Source: @shadenFM/archive)

Various social media accounts posted imagery from different angles of the complex, simplifying the geolocation of the area. The DFRLab confirmed that the fire broke out in the southwestern part of the factory.