KYIV, Ukraine : Ukrainian drones struck a large military depot in the Russian town of Toropets, causing a massive fire and prompting the evacuation of some local residents, according to Ukrainian officials and Russian news reports.
The attack, carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service, Intelligence and Special Operations Forces, destroyed Russian military warehouses in Toropets, located in Russia’s Tver region, approximately 380 kilometers northwest of Moscow and 500 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
The targeted facility housed Iskander and Tochka-U missiles, glide bombs, and artillery shells, which caught fire in the strike and are still burning across an area six kilometers wide.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that air defense systems were working to repel a “massive drone attack” on Toropets, which has a population of around 11,000. The agency also reported a fire and the evacuation of some local residents.
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While there is no immediate information on casualties, the attack marks the latest successful Ukrainian strike on targets deep inside Russia, using advanced drone technology.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking Western approval to use sophisticated weapons provided by Western nations to hit targets inside Russia. However, some Western leaders have expressed concerns that this could draw them into the conflict.
Zelenskyy’s plan for winning the war reportedly includes not only battlefield goals but also diplomatic and economic wins. A senior US diplomat has revealed that the plan “can work” and help end the conflict that is now in its third year.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an increase in military troops by 180,000 to a total of 1.5 million by December 1. Ukraine’s strategy aims to put pressure on Putin to back down by targeting Russian military equipment, ammunition, and infrastructure deep inside Russia.