Ukraine announced on Saturday that it had struck two military warehouses used in particular to store munitions in southern and western Russia, including a “key” location for the logistics of Russian forces, a few days after claiming similar attacks.
Images posted on social media, the authenticity of which AFP has not been able to verify, show very large explosions, multiple detonations and vast clouds of smoke.
The regional authorities of Krasnodar (southwest) had earlier ordered evacuations after the outbreak of a fire linked to a Ukrainian drone, those of Tver (west) also saying they had been attacked.
However, none of them mentioned the target of these strikes, which they said did not cause any casualties.
The Ukrainian army and the security services (SBU) struck the warehouse in Tikhoretsk, Krasnodar region, overnight, according to a statement published on Telegram. It is “one of the three largest ammunition storage bases” in Russia and a “key location” for the logistics of Russian troops, kyiv’s army assured.
Another warehouse belonging to the artillery department of the Russian Defense Ministry was hit by Ukrainian security services in Oktyabrsky, Tver region, the same source said.
On Wednesday, Ukraine had already claimed responsibility for the destruction of a warehouse containing missiles and artillery ammunition in Toropets, also in the Tver region. Ballistic missiles, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition were stored there, it said.
The Russian regional authorities had spoken of a “fire”, without mentioning an arms warehouse, and ordered a temporary evacuation of the population.
1200 residents evacuated
Veniamine Kondratiev, governor of the Krasnodar region, which is close to Ukraine and separated by the Sea of Azov, had earlier said that two drones had been shot down by anti-aircraft defenses.
The falling debris “started” a fire in the Tikhoretsky district, he said on Telegram, specifying that the drone attack had “not caused any casualties”.
The authorities have however decided on the “temporary” evacuation of people living in the village of Koubane, near the scene of the fire, he added, specifying that 1,200 residents had been evacuated.
The governor of the Krasnodar region did not indicate the precise target of the Ukrainian strike.
The Defense Ministry earlier said it had shot down 18 drones over the Krasnodar region, and 16 over the Sea of Azov.
Tver Region Governor Igor Rudenia also reported airstrikes on the Toropets district. Traffic on a highway had to be halted, before resuming at midday, regional authorities reported on Telegram.
101 drones
In total, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 101 Ukrainian drones during the night from Friday to Saturday.
Fifty-three drones were shot down over the Bryansk region (west), bordering Russia, where the governor declared that there was no damage or casualties.
Moscow recently announced that its military was intercepting Ukrainian drones launched by kyiv in retaliation for the Russian offensive launched in Ukraine in February 2022 almost daily.
For its part, the Russian ministry said it had carried out a group attack during the night “against energy facilities that support the work of military-industrial complex enterprises” in Ukraine. “All the objectives of the strike were achieved,” it added in a statement.
The Russian military said it had hit weapons depots and a ship containing weapons destined for Ukraine.
On Friday, the governor of the Ukrainian region of Odessa, Oleg Kiper, said that a Russian strike had damaged port infrastructure and a boat, which he said was civilian.