Drone strikes ignite fire at Russian ammo depot; partial evacuation ordered
During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, alarm sirens wailed in Ukraine and Russia. In Toropets, located in the Tver region, a drone struck an ammunition depot at a military unit stationed there. Authorities announced a partial evacuation of the town. "Well, it finally happened," can be heard in one of the recordings online by Toropets residents.
Russian drones attacked Ukraine, while Ukrainian drones targeted Russia. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, alerts were declared in several Russian regions: Bryansk, Smolensk, Tula, Oryol, and Tver.
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The Tver region borders Belarus to the west and the Moscow region to the south. Despite its significant distance from Ukraine's borders, Ukrainian drones also reach this area.
That night, the drones targeted the town of Toropets, located about 25 miles from the border with Belarus. What is interesting about this town? There is a military unit there, which was most likely the target of the attack.
Moments after the air raid alarm and the first volleys of air defense, residents noticed the glow of a fire on the town's outskirts. The fire spread quickly and was notably accompanied by the sounds of explosions.
The region's authorities immediately stated that the fire was started by debris from a drone shot down by air defense. However, they did not specify what was burning.
Authorities declared a partial evacuation
Videos of the fire and information that an ammunition depot in Toropets was burning appeared online.
The region governor, Igor Rudenya, partially evacuated people from places where the air defense operates and where the fire is being extinguished. RIA Novosti soon reported that the situation was under control.
The Russian channel Astra reported that a military unit based in Toropets had been attacked by drones at least twice before. Astra's Telegram channel states that regional authorities and the Russian Ministry of Defense did not provide information.
This military unit was first attacked by a drone on the night of May 5. The drone also crashed on its premises, causing a fire. Another attack occurred early on the morning of June 29, when two drones appeared over it.
