Video: Massive explosion in Russia after Ukrainian drones strike arms storage in Tver

A major Ukrainian drone attack on Russia triggered a massive blast and fire, and forced partial evacuation of residents in the town of Toropets in Tver region, about 250 miles (400 km) west of Moscow, early Wednesday.

A report by AFP quoted a Ukrainian security source as saying that the Ukrainian drones struck a warehouse storing missiles and artillery in Tver, causing a powerful explosion and massive fire.  

“The warehouse contained missiles for Iskander tactical missile systems, Tochka-U tactical missile systems, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition. After the hits by Ukrainian drones, an extremely powerful detonation began,” the source was quoted as saying.

On the Telegram messaging channel, Igor Rudenya, the governor of the Tver region, informed that the fire fighters were trying to contain the blaze. However, he did not say what was burning.  

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Meanwhile, unverified videos and images circulating on social media depict a massive fireball shooting into the night sky, accompanied by loud explosions resonating over a lake in a region northwest of Moscow, close to the Belarus border.

Ukraine destroyed one of Russia’s largest weapons depots.

A drone swarm struck the depot in Toropets in the Tver region, 480 km from the frontlines.

The explosion destroyed hundreds of S-300, S-400, Iskander & North Korean ballistic missiles, causing a 2.8 magnitude earthquake pic.twitter.com/Ht6Y7put4C

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 18, 2024

As per a 2018 report by RIA state new agency, Russia was building an arsenal for the storage of missiles, ammunition and explosives in Toropets, which is a 1,000-year-old town and has a population of slightly over 11,000.  

According to the Russian government’s official newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the arsenal was built in 2015 at a cost of 3.6 billion roubles ($39 million) and is said to be equipped with cold and heated rooms, electrical substations, treatment facilities, water and fuel storage tanks, and more than a hundred fire ponds.

The arsenal was put into operation in 2018, then-deputy defence minister Dmitry Bulgakov told RIA, who had also said that it is equipped with concrete storage facilities for storing missiles, ammunition and explosives in the proper conditions.

In 2018, Bulgakov told Russian army news outlet Zvezda that the full load of each storage facility of the arsenal is up to 240 tons. The arsenal also has facilities to accommodate up to 200 servicemen, the RIA report said.

With inputs from Reuters.