Ukrainian drone strike in toropets cripples Russian artillery
The head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), General Vasyl Maliuk, confirmed that the Russians are still experiencing the impact of the attack on the warehouses in the city of Toropets. In September last year, these sites were almost completely levelled, resulting in Vladimir Putin's army losing vast ammunition reserves, including mortar shells, rockets, and North Korean ballistic missiles.
Maliuk revealed that the Russians lost approximately 160,000 metric tonnes of ammunition. The most significant losses for Putin's army concern the 120 mm calibre shells, as the 107th Arsenal of the Main Directorate of Missile and Artillery (GRAU) contained about 50 per cent of the entire Russian reserve of these types of shells. The Bulgarian Military portal describes these losses as a "devastating blow to the Kremlin's logistics," noting that the 120 mm calibre shells are "the backbone of the Russian artillery arsenal and a pillar of ground operations against Ukraine."
Effects of the attack on warehouses in the city of Toropiec
Ukrainian drones were used in the attack on the warehouses in the city of Toropets in the Tver region of western Russia. Numerous recordings showing massive explosions were published on social media. A few days after the incident, it was confirmed that the force of the explosions was so great that they caused an earthquake measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale. A subsequent analysis of satellite images showed that the warehouses targeted by the Ukrainians were practically flattened.
"Among the losses was half of all stocks of 120 mm calibre shells, which, if I may say, are like hotcakes for their troops," said General Vasyl Maliuk, quoted by the Ukrainian portal Defence Express.
Ukrainian drones becoming increasingly dangerous
General Vasyl Maliuk added that over the three years of the war, the Ukrainian army has gained invaluable combat experience in the use of drones. This applies to both surface and aerial drones, which are deployed not only on the front lines but also many kilometres away. The military revealed that the Ukrainian army categorises its drones based on their operational range: 0–20 km, 20–40 km, 40–80 km, 80–120 km, and over 120 km. The longest-range drones are primarily used for strikes on Russian territory.
Besides ammunition depots, Ukrainian attacks mainly target military airports and Russian refineries.
Russians reliant on supplies from North Korea
The prolonged war and the resulting consumption of ammunition, along with attacks like the one on the warehouses in the city of Toropets, have led to the Russians experiencing an "ammunition shortage." In addition to their own reserves and current production, they have started to rely heavily on assistance from their largest ally.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, stated that as much as 50 per cent of the ammunition used by Putin's army in the war with Ukraine comes from North Korea.
