Drones pierced the night sky over northwest Russia. They zeroed in on a sprawling chemical complex. The target: Apatit JSC in Cherepovets, Vologda region. Owned by PhosAgro PJSC, Europe’s top phosphate fertilizer maker. This marked the second hit on the site this April. A high-pressure sulfuric acid pipeline ruptured. Five workers ended up hospitalized. No hazardous spill occurred; crews contained the leak swiftly. Vologda Governor Georgy Filimonov confirmed the details in a Telegram post , as reported by Reuters on April 26, 2026. PhosAgro’s Apatit pumps out phosphoric and sulfuric acids alongside NPK fertilizers—essentials for global crops. Russia supplies one-fifth of world fertilizer trade. Strikes like this chip away at that output. And they come amid layered pressures. The Strait of Hormuz closure, tied to the Iran war, already doubled prices by choking a third of seaborne flows. Moscow’s export curbs prioritize domestic needs.…