A large-scale fire with detonation resulted from the night strike of the Defense Forces of Ukraine on the Russian arsenal with North Korean ammunition in the Krasnodar region. Pictures of this "cotton" from space are already available online.
Points of attention
- Satellite images reveal the aftermath of a night strike by the Defense Forces of Ukraine on a Russian arsenal in the Krasnodar region.
- The fire at the facility is confirmed by satellite images and the fire map from NASA, showing the extent of the damage.
- The depot targeted in the attack is identified as the 719th Ordnance Base, known for storing North Korean ammunition according to reports by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
- The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the attack, reporting the destruction of over 2,000 tons of ammunition, including supplies from North Korea.
- The strike on the Russian arsenal in Tykhoretsk has raised concerns about the escalation of conflict and its impact on the region's stability.
"Bavovna" in the Krasnodar region of the Russia: what can be seen from space
The images from the Sentinel-2 satellite for September 21, available on the EO Browser platform and at the disposal of "Schem" (Radio Liberty), show the consequences of a night attack on a Russian ammunition warehouse — there is an ongoing fire.
This military facility is located to the north of the village of Kamiany in the Tykhorets district, in the Krasnodar region of Russia.
The satellite image also shows that the fire continues near the military airfield of the city of Tikhoretsk, which is not far from the ammunition warehouse.
On the OpenStreetMap map, these warehouses are marked as military unit No. 57229-41. In Russian open sources there are references to the affiliation of this unit to the logistics center of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.
According to a study by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the depot is also known as the 719th Ordnance Base. In February 2024, CSIS reported that over the past year there has been increased activity and a noticeable increase in activity at this base. According to a report by CSIS analysts, in October 2023, the White House confirmed that this Russian base is the main one in the Russian Federation for storing North Korean ammunition.
The fire map of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows the fire at the "cotton" site.
NASA uses data from its satellites to create real-time fire maps.
Large-scale fires are still recorded near the city of Tikhoretsk in the Krasnodar Territory, both at the ammunition depot and the nearby airfield.
Drones of the Defense Forces of Ukraine attacked the Russian arsenal in Tykhoretsk
On the night of September 21, Russian media reported on explosions near one of the military units in Tikhoretsk district. Later, the governor of the Krasnodar region said that explosive objects were detonated as a result of the fire.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed the attack on the Tikhoretsk arsenal and announced the destruction of more than 2,000 tons of ammunition, including from North Korea.
In the message, the General Staff notes that this warehouse "is one of the three largest ammunition storage bases and is one of the key ones in the logistics system of the Russian troops."
