Ukrainian drone strike decimates Russian ammo depots, causing tremors

The Ukrainian attack on ammunition depots in the Tver region of western Russia has proven to be highly effective. Reports have emerged of fires and massive explosions that caused a minor earthquake in the area, and now satellite images depicting the scale of the destruction are appearing online.

According to one analyst cited by the Unian agency, the destruction in the Russian ammunition depots in the city of Toropets is estimated to be between 70 and 90 percent. These conclusions are drawn from analysing the first clear satellite images taken several hours after the Ukrainian attack.

Sources within 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 of 2.8 on the Richter scale. Satellite images confirm that the depots in Toropets were - quite literally - levelled.

The Russian base in Toropets was divided into 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 are not yet fully accounted for, as other structures were damaged (currently, it is impossible to assess the full extent based on satellite images), and large craters from detonations 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 to 20 percent of the ammunition that was in the destroyed depots at the time of the attack. It is estimated that as many as 27,000 tonnes of various types of shells and ballistic missiles could have been in the depots at the time of the attack.

Andriy Kovalenco, head of the Ukrainian government-linked Centre 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 noteworthy 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 600 kilometres 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 negatively 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.