A recently reported Ukrainian drone strike on an ammunition depot in Russia’s Tver region has been hailed on social media as one of the war’s most significant events. The attack targeted the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) arsenal in Toropets, located approximately 240 miles west of Moscow, around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. Eyewitness videos captured massive explosions following the initial impact.
Ukrainian advisor Anton Gerashchenko shared on X that the blast might have released an explosive force equivalent to between 1.3 and 1.8 kilotons of TNT, with shockwaves feeling effects up to 200 miles away. Meanwhile, George William Herbert from the Middlebury Institute estimated that around 200-240 tons of high explosives could have detonated, as reported by Reuters.
By Wednesday afternoon, reports indicated that around 30,000 tons of munitions had detonated or remained active, with fires ongoing. A source from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed that the drones had “literally wiped off the face of the earth” a major facility vital to Russia’s military operations, mentioning similar attacks were likely planned to further degrade Russia’s missile capabilities.
The Toropets depot reportedly housed North Korean KN23 ballistic missiles, weaponry for Grad rocket launchers, S-300 air defense systems, and Iskander missiles.
Social media users commented on the dramatic scale of these explosions. One user remarked, “The ammunition warehouse in Toropets has been turned into a volcanic region. It is still exploding,” while another noted that the primary explosion resembled a nuclear blast, calling it “an extraordinary achievement.”
The ammunition warehouse in Toropets, Tver region, in Russia has been turned into a volcanic region. It is still exploding. Absolutely spectacular view and possibly the biggest single event of that kind in this war.
Source: Telegram / Sternenko pic.twitter.com/9tdkYDgmp3
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) September 18, 2024
Nasa satellites detected significant heat signatures spanning about five square miles at the site, and monitoring stations recorded minor tremors in the vicinity. The Russian newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta noted that the arsenal was constructed in 2015 for around 3.6 billion rubles ($39 million) to enhance the storage capabilities for munitions and explosives. In 2018, former Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov claimed the facility could withstand missile strikes and even small nuclear impacts; he was arrested earlier this year on corruption charges, which he denies.
Responding to the incident, Tver Oblast Governor Igor Rudenya mentioned on Telegram that a fire was sparked by debris from the drones but claimed the situation was under control. However, he later ordered an evacuation of parts of the local population. Interestingly, Tver was not included in a Russian defense ministry update stating that 54 drones targeting five regions had been intercepted overnight.