Smoke rising from the fire (Photo: X).
According to the US defense corporation General Dynamics and witnesses, the incident occurred on the afternoon of April 15 (local time) at the Scranton military ammunition plant in Pennsylvania.
A fire broke out there, with images showing plumes of black smoke rising.
General Dynamics, the company responsible for operating the facility, told Atlas News that the fire was quickly extinguished with no injuries. The Scranton plant is owned by the US military.
The factory that caught fire was one of seven facilities that produced military weapons for the US military, including 155mm and 105mm artillery shells, 120mm mortar shells, 203mm naval artillery shells, as well as various types of smoke, illumination and incendiary shells.
Location of the Scranton plant (Photo: X).
The Scranton plant has been specially modernized to produce artillery shells for Ukraine, according to the US National Defense magazine. The report said that before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the plant produced an average of 7,000 shells per month. The plant now aims to produce up to 35,000 shells per month by 2027.
The US is trying to increase artillery production to supply Ukraine in its conflict with Russia even as a $60 billion aid proposal from President Joe Biden's administration remains stuck in Congress due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans.
The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the West against continuing to supply weapons to Kiev, saying it would escalate the conflict further. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.
On April 15, US House Speaker Mike Johnson introduced four separate bills on aid to Ukraine, Israel, the Asia-Pacific region and Washington’s national security priorities. Ukraine hopes the new bill can break the deadlock within the US over aid to Kiev, as they run out of ammunition to stop Moscow’s advance.
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