Moscow: On Wednesday, a large-scale drone attack by Ukraine led to a massive explosion at a key arsenal in Russia’s Tver region, creating a blast comparable to an earthquake and prompting the evacuation of a nearby town. The incident, which occurred approximately 380 km (240 miles) west of Moscow, was reported by war bloggers and some media outlets.
Social media platforms were flooded with unverified videos and images depicting a colossal fireball erupting into the night sky, followed by a series of thunderous detonations over a lake. NASA satellites detected intense heat signatures from an area spanning about 14 square kilometers (5 square miles), while earthquake monitoring stations registered what appeared to be a minor quake in the vicinity.
“The enemy hit an ammunition depot in the area of Toropets,” noted Yuri Podolyaka, a Ukrainian-born pro-Russian military blogger. “Everything that can burn is already burning there (and exploding).”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the attack’s outcome during his nightly video address, though he did not specify the target. “A very important result was achieved last night on Russian territory and such actions weaken the enemy,” Zelenskiy stated. “I thank everyone involved. Such precision is truly inspiring.” He expressed gratitude to the SBU security service, the HUR intelligence service, and the Special Operations Forces.
A source within Ukraine’s SBU security service confirmed to Reuters that the drone assault had destroyed a warehouse containing missiles, guided bombs, and artillery ammunition. Russian state media, subject to military censorship, reported limited details about the explosion at the arsenal, which was previously known for housing conventional weapons.
Igor Rudenya, governor of the Tver region, reported that Ukrainian drones had been intercepted, a fire had erupted, and evacuations were underway. He refrained from specifying what was burning. A local resident, identified only as Irina, described the scene to Reuters: “A fire started with explosions.”
By midday local time (0900 GMT), Rudenya stated that the situation in Toropets had stabilized, evacuees could return, and the fire had been extinguished with no fatalities reported.
In the midst of the attack, both Russia and Ukraine reported numerous drone strikes on their respective territories. Russia claimed its air defense units had downed 54 drones targeting five regions overnight, although Tver was not mentioned. Ukraine reported intercepting 46 out of 52 drones launched by Moscow and noted that Russia’s three guided air missiles had failed to hit their targets.
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The magnitude of the explosion, as depicted in unverified social media footage, was estimated by George William Herbert from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey to be consistent with the detonation of 200-240 tons of high explosives.
In response, a Toropets chatroom on the Russian social media site VK was inundated with messages offering support and assistance to evacuees. Some users inquired about the status of specific buildings, while others expressed distress over the damage in nearby Kudino village, located 4.5 km (2.8 miles) northeast of Toropets.
Questions arose about how drones could trigger such significant explosions at a supposedly well-fortified facility. According to a 2018 RIA state news agency report, Russia had been constructing an arsenal in Toropets designed to withstand missile strikes and even a small nuclear attack. Dmitry Bulgakov, then a deputy defense minister, had asserted that the facility was built to ensure the secure storage of weapons and protect them from various threats. Bulgakov was recently arrested on corruption charges, which he denies.
Russian chat groups expressed frustration over the incident. “Why wasn’t the ammunition underground?! What are you doing???? In Kudino, houses were blown away! Why is the forest burning and no one is there… What kind of negligence is this!!!!” one user posted.
