MOSCOW: An overnight Ukrainian drone attack ignited a series of explosions at a Russian munitions depot in the Voronezh region, near the border shared by the two countries, officials from both sides confirmed on Sunday.
According to Alexander Gusev, the regional governor, multiple Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defence systems above the Voronezh region. However, the falling debris from these drones triggered a fire at a depot located in the Podgorensky district, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
“Explosives stored at the depot began to detonate as a result,” Gusev stated on Telegram, noting that there were no immediate reports of casualties. Local rescue teams were deployed to the scene, and precautionary evacuations of nearby residents were initiated.
A Ukrainian defence source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Ukrainian drones had targeted the munitions factory in a deliberate nighttime attack. The source described the depot as housing a stockpile of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, tank shells, artillery ammunition, and other military supplies.
Since Russia launched its military offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, both sides have increasingly utilized drones as part of their military strategies. Ukraine, in particular, has escalated its drone operations, targeting strategic sites within Russian territory that it claims supply the Russian military, as well as border areas.
