Ukrainian drone strike devastates Russian ammo depots, triggers tremors

The Ukrainian attack on ammunition depots in the Tver region in western Russia proved to be extremely effective. Reports have emerged of fires and massive explosions that caused minor earthquakes in the area, and now satellite images showing the scale of destruction are surfacing online.

According to an analyst, cited by the Unian agency, the destruction in the Russian ammunition depots in the city of Toropets reaches as much as 70-90 percent. These conclusions come after analyzing the first clear satellite images showing the area several hours after the Ukrainian attack.

Sources in Ukrainian intelligence confirmed to AFP that drones were used in the attack. The Russians stored large supplies of various types of ammunition in these warehouses, including cruise missiles. The explosions were so massive that seismic tools measuring tectonic plate movements recorded tremors with a magnitude of 2.8 on the Richter scale. Satellite images confirm that the depots in Toropets were - quite literally - leveled.

The Russian base in Toropets was divided into two parts - the old and the new. The Ukrainians managed to destroy at least 17 buildings in the first part and 15 storage bunkers in the second. However, the Russian losses won’t end there, as some other structures were damaged. Currently, it is impossible to assess the extent based on satellite images, but large detonation craters are visible in some areas.

According to the analyst quoted by Unian, in the best-case scenario, the Russians will be able to salvage no more than 10-20 percent of the ammunition in the destroyed depots at the time of the attack. It is estimated that there could have been as much as 60 million pounds of various types of shells and ballistic missiles.

Andriy Kovalenco, head of the Ukrainian government-linked Center for Countering Disinformation, reported that the Russians stored Grad, S-300, and S-400 missiles, as well as Iskander and KN-23 ballistic missiles, in these depots. The latter is particularly interesting because Russia is supplied with this arsenal by an ally. The KN-23 ballistic missiles come from North Korea. They have a range of about 370 miles and have already caused problems for the Ukrainians, falling in their territories.

Specialists from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the destruction of such large Russian reserves will impact their actions in the near future. They may now decide to disperse their ammunition depots further, which will not positively affect logistics and supply lines to the front in Ukraine. As military expert Yevhen Dykyi adds, there may also be at least temporary ammunition shortages among the fighting units there.