Watch: Ukraine hits Russian ammunition depot in Voronezh
A state of emergency was declared in parts of Russia’s Voronezh region on Sunday after a Ukrainian drone strike on a large ammunition storage facility.
Alexander Gusev, the governor of Voronezh, said that several drones were destroyed by Russian air defence systems and that the falling debris “set off a fire in a depot”.
The fire continued to ignite explosive material for several hours after the attack, Mr Gusev said, adding that there were no casualties.
According to Russian media, roads were closed as emergency services and government officials rushed to the scene, while local people working in the nearby Podgorensky district were evacuated.
Footage posted on social media showed a large mushroom cloud billowing on the horizon along with a chain of smaller secondary explosions.
Another video showed a drone flying low at dawn over the fields of the Voronezh countryside.
Kyiv has yet to officially comment on the strike, but a Ukrainian defence source told AFP that the “powerful” explosion was a result of the large number of missiles, tank and artillery shells and ammunition boxes that Russia stored at the site.
A Ukrainian security service source told Reuters that the depot was a 9,000 sq m location that Russia uses to equip its forces in Ukraine.
The source also warned that Ukraine planned further similar strikes: “In the nearest future, there remains a high chance of sudden detonations at Russian military-industrial facilities, which are working [to supply] the war against Ukraine.”
According to open-source intelligence analysts, the depot is located in the small town of Sergeevka, which is south east of the city of Voronezh and around 50 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has not commented on the strike in Voronezh but said that its air defence systems had destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the neighbouring Belgorod region.
Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has launched cross-border drone strikes on Russia on an almost weekly basis.
Targets most often include military bases, oil refineries and industrial facilities but civilian casualties have also been reported.
