Planet Labs satellite images were taken on September 18 at 11:30 Kyiv time. They show large-scale smoke on the territory of military unit No. 11777, which is responsible for the headquarters of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Points of attention
- Satellite images taken after the strike on the missile arsenal in Toropets show large-scale smoke and destruction at military unit No. 11777 responsible for the Russian missile and artillery department.
- The attack by Ukrainian drones on the Russian ammunition warehouse in Toropets was a strategic victory for Ukrainian forces, impacting the Russian military's capabilities in the Kurshchyna region.
- The detonation of the 107th arsenal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in Toropets limited the fueling capabilities of the opposition against the Defense Forces of Ukraine, marking a significant historical moment.
- The strike on the Russian arsenal in Toropets had record-scale consequences and caused explosions, fires, and evacuations in the area, showcasing a critical blow to the Russian military's operations in the region.
- Discover the details and implications of the strike on the missile arsenal in Toropets, including the storage of missiles, ammunition, and explosive materials, and the international standards met by the arsenal.
Strike on the Russian arsenal in Toropets: satellite images appeared
In particular, the photo shows satellite images of the 107th arsenal of the main missile and artillery department of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in Toropka. Some were taken on September 16, and others on September 18, after an attack by Ukrainian drones.
So, on the night of September 18, the Russian mass media reported a mass attack by drones in the city of Toropets, Tver region of Russia. The local authorities even decided to evacuate the population from the area where the air defense was working and the fire broke out.
Later, videos of loud explosions and large-scale fires appeared online from local residents who reported that an ammunition depot had been attacked. The local authorities reported that the fire started "as a result of the fall of the UAV debris."
Later, SBU sources reported that the warehouse of the main missile and artillery department of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in Toropka was attacked by SBU, GUR and SSO drones. The sources also noted that missiles for the Iskander and Tochka-U complexes, as well as guided aerial bombs (KABs), were stored at this warehouse.
The arsenal of complex storage of missiles, ammunition and explosive materials was built in 2018. According to the statement of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation at the time, the arsenal met the highest international standards — and each warehouse of the arsenal holds up to 240 tons of ammunition.
"Cotton" in Toropka has become a record scale
According to official and unofficial sources, on the night of September 18, 2024, drones of the Defense Forces of Ukraine attacked an ammunition depot near the Russian city of Toropets in the Tver region.
We are talking about the 107th arsenal of the GRAU of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, at the facilities of which, according to preliminary data, up to 30 thousand tons of ammunition of various types, in particular anti-aircraft missiles, were stored, and it is possible that this is the largest warehouse of BC in the geographically "European" part of Russia.
This detonated arsenal was clearly important for fueling the racist group that opposes the Defense Forces of Ukraine in Kurshchyna. Therefore, the result of this attack should be sought precisely from this point of view — that is, in limiting the capabilities of the Russian military, which is trying to counter the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region.
At the same time, we have a certain interesting historical moment — apparently, a good moment with the detonation of an important ammunition depot of the enemy during a strategically important campaign, as happened with the 107th arsenal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in Toropka, rarely happened.
