Attacked on the night of September 18 by Ukrainian UAVs, the missile arsenal in Toropets was "protected" by an anti-UAV system for 212 million rubles.
Points of attention
- The missile arsenal in Toropets was attacked by Ukrainian drones, resulting in a large-scale fire and detonation of ammunition, causing significant damage.
- The ammunition warehouse was equipped with a Murena anti-drone complex worth 212 million rubles, designed to provide round-the-clock security against low-flying drones.
- Satellite images captured smoke and destruction in the area after the attack on the missile arsenal, highlighting the severity of the incident.
- The attack raised concerns about the vulnerability of military installations to drone attacks, prompting authorities to assess and reinforce security measures.
- Various sources indicated that the attack was carried out by Ukrainian drones targeting missiles for the 'Iskander' and 'Point-U' complexes stored in the warehouse.
The missile arsenal in Toropets was "protected": what is known
The territory of the ammunition warehouse in Toropets in the Tver region, where a large fire broke out after an attack by Ukrainian drones, was equipped with a security complex "Murena 1 SV" worth 211.6 million rubles with the function of protection against UAVs
This is evidenced by state procurement data.
It follows from the documentation that the system was purchased in the fall of 2020 by order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The price included supply, installation and commissioning. The executor is unknown — the auction was held in closed mode.
On the website of the manufacturer "Yumirs" it is stated that "Murena 1 SV" is intended for round-the-clock protection of territories, buildings and security premises. Among the functions of the complex is "detection and trajectory tracking of low-flying small UAVs." The maximum range of detection and neutralization of the drone is 2 km.
Co-founder of the international volunteer community InformNapalm and OSINT expert Irakli Komakhidze suggested that the warehouse could be attacked with the help of not only drones, but also long-range missiles.
In one of the videos, a sound characteristic of a rocket can be heard.
The warehouses themselves were located in concrete structures that could not be penetrated by conventional UAVs.
In addition, according to the state procurement website, wooden containers for TM-62 anti-tank mines worth 45 million rubles were installed in the warehouse in 2021.
Ammunition was detonated due to a fire in the warehouse. Residents of the nearest village evacuated, windows in dozens of apartments were blown out by the blast wave in the city. Authorities confirmed the UAV attack, but did not say the extent of the damage. They also introduced a ban on visiting forests in Toropetsk District.
In 2015, 3.6 billion rubles were allocated for the construction of the arsenal. The deputy head of the Ministry of Defense claimed that each storage facility of the facility can hold up to 240 tons of missiles and ammunition.
Strike on the Russian arsenal in Toropets: satellite images appeared
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.
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, 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.
