Russian weapons depot ‘wiped off the face of the earth’ by Ukrainian drone attack, SBU source claims

Ukrainian drones successfully targeted a weapons depot in Toropets in Russia's Tver Oblast overnight, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent on Sept. 18.

Photos and videos shared on Russian Telegram channels early on Sept. 18 showed a number of explosions and a large plume of smoke purportedly at the site of an ammunition depot in the town of Toropets.

Tver Oblast Governor Igor Rudenya reported that a fire had broken out in Toropets due to falling drone debris but claimed the situation was "under control."

Rudenya later announced part of the town's population would be evacuated from the area where "air defense is operating and the fire is being localized."

According to the source in the SBU, drones from the SBU, Ukraine's military intelligence, and Ukrainian Armed Forces struck a warehouse storing ballistic missiles, including Iskanders, anti-aircraft missiles, artillery ammunition, and KAB guided bombs.

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The Kyiv IndependentChris York

The attack "literally wiped off the face of the earth a large warehouse of the main missile and artillery department of the Russian Defense Ministry," the source said.

"After the arrival of Ukrainian drones, an extremely powerful detonation began" and the affected area is 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) wide, the source said.

"The SBU, together with colleagues from the Armed Forces, continues to methodically reduce the missile potential of the enemy, with which it destroys Ukrainian cities."

The source said that there are plans to conduct similar attacks on other Russian military facilities.  

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.

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The strike destroyed both the storage infrastructure and tons of ammunition that Russian troops were stockpiling for use against Ukraine, Ukraine’s Navy said.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova