Civilians evacuated amid drone attack in Russia’s Tver Oblast, Russian governor claims

Editor's note: a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) later told the Kyiv Independent that the SBU and Ukrainian Armed Forces were responsible for attacking a weapons depot in Toropets in Tver Oblast.

Local authorities have partially evacuated residents of Toropets in Russia’s Tver Oblast after a mass drone attack overnight caused a large fire, Tver Oblast Governor Igor Rudenya claimed on Sept. 18.

Photos and videos shared on Russian Telegram channels showed a number of explosions and a large plume of smoke, purportedly at the site of an ammunition depot in Toropets. The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify the location of the explosions.  

Toropets has a population of 11,000, and is situated around 470 kilometers (292 miles) north of the Ukrainian border and over 370 kilometers (230 miles) west of Moscow.

"A fire started as a result of drone wreckage falling while air defense forces were repelling an attack," Rudenya claimed on Telegram at 3:30 a.m. local time, adding that the situation was under control.

At 4 a.m. local time, Rudenya announced the decision "to partially evacuate the population from the territory where air defense is operating and the fire is being localized" as air defense continued to "repel a massive attack of drones in the sky above the city."

"The necessary measures are being taken. The situation is under control."

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According to state media outlet RIA Novosti, the population was being evacuated to the town of Zapadnaya Dvina, 35 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of Toropets.  

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 54 Ukrainian drones had been downed overnight, but did not mention any drones downed over Tver Oblast.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry's 8 a.m. report, 27 drones were downed over Kursk Oblast, 16 over Bryansk Oblast, seven over Smolensk Oblast, three over Belgorod Oblast, and one over Oryol Oblast.

Kyiv did not comment on Moscow's claims, but Ukraine is known to use domestically-produced drones to strike targets deep inside Russia.

A previous drone attack on Tver Oblast reportedly targeted a major chemical research plant.

Images and videos shared by local residents on Russian Telegram channels appeared to show a large explosion on June 27 near Redkino, home to the Redkinsky plant.

At the time, Rudenya only claimed that a drone was downed over Konakovsky district in Tver Oblast, the same area in which the Redkinsky plant is located.

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