Firefighters managed to put out a fire that ignited earlier on Wednesday at the former Volkswagen facility located in the Kaluga region.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, the flames broke out in a foam recycling area within the Tenet automobile plant, where Chinese vehicles are produced. A representative from the company reported that there were no injuries as a result of the incident.
Unverified reports indicated that the plant had to suspend its activities due to the fire.
After exiting Russia, Volkswagen sold the Kaluga plant to the Russian automotive group AGR Holding. Last year, AGR joined forces with the Chinese manufacturer Defetoo to start producing vehicles under the Tenet brand.
From August to December of 2025, the Kaluga factory produced approximately 50,000 Tenet crossovers and SUVs.
On Tuesday, Tenet held its inaugural press conference, revealing plans to capture at least 10% of Russia’s anticipated 1.4 million vehicle market.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, most major international automakers ceased their operations in the country.
