Ukrainian drone strike engulfs Russian ammo depot, forces evacuation
During the night, nearly 100 Ukrainian drones attacked an ammunition depot in the town of Toropets in the Tver region of Russia. Authorities ordered the evacuation of the town. According to the Astra channel, a massive fire cut off the escape route for the residents of the village of Tsikarevo. "For God's sake, help us! There's nothing left of the village," they appealed.
18 September 2024 19:43
Ukrainian drones destroyed an ammunition depot in the Tver region in western Russia – reported a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to the AFP agency on Wednesday. The attack took place during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.
100 drones attacked the Russian arsenal
The drones "literally destroyed" the depot in Toropets, which stored, among other things, ballistic missiles and guided bombs – the source reported.
According to RBK Ukraine, Kyiv was said to have used up to 100 drones in the attack.
Sources in the Defence Forces informed RBK that the depot contained "significant stocks of North Korean ballistic missiles KN23, Grad MLRS rockets, S-300 air defence systems, and Iskander ballistic missiles."
Three thousand people evacuated
Local Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of the districts of Toropets adjacent to the ammunition depot. As of 4 AM Eastern Time, more than 3,000 people had already been evacuated.
The residents of villages located right next to the ammunition depot were in the worst situation. "Please evacuate the people from the village of Tsikarevo. They are standing on the shore of Kudinskoe Lake. Access to them is only possible by a waterway on the lake. For God's sake, help them! There's nothing left of the village. People need urgent evacuation. Seven people with a single oar are trying to cross the lake from Tsikarevo. The rest are waiting for help by the water," one resident alerted.
The entire unit was engulfed in flames
According to NASA maps, the entire Russian base was engulfed in flames.
The authorities of the Zapadnodvinsk region, which borders the Toropets region, announced that in some parts of the region there will be no electricity, and school and preschool classes will be held online.