Drone strikes ignite ammunition depot, trigger detonations in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast

Russian authorities claim to have intercepted five drones in Voronezh Oblast overnight, but falling debris sparked a fire at a munitions storage site, forcing the evacuation of 200 residents.

Aug 24, 2024 - 04:00
Drone strikes ignite ammunition depot, trigger detonations in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast

A fire from the detonations at an ammunition storage site in Voronezh Oblast, Russia.

A series of drone attacks on the southwestern Voronezh Oblast in Russia overnight resulted in a fire and ongoing detonations at an ammunition storage site, prompting evacuations and a state of emergency declaration. 

Ukrainian drone attacks have recently intensified against Russian military supply chains and oil depots, disrupting logistics and reducing fuel supplies for the Russian military.

Ostrogozhsk, the site of the incident, houses a training center for junior armored vehicle service specialists. The town had also planned to open an exhibition commemorating the Russian capture of Ukrainian Mariupol, according to Radio Liberty Russia.

According to Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev, air defense and electronic warfare systems intercepted and suppressed five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight.

The falling fragments caused a fire, leading to the detonation of explosive objects, Gusev reports.  

The incident, which occurred in the Ostrogozhsky district, led to the declaration of a state of emergency in three settlements and evacuation of approximately 200 residents. One woman was hospitalized in serious condition, and another received abrasions and refused hospitalization, according to Gusev.

He also claimed that civilian structures were largely unaffected, though power supply disruptions are possible in one village due to damaged electrical lines.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claims to have shot down a total of seven drones across three regions on the night of 24 August: five in Voronezh, one in Belgorod, and one in Bryansk. 

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that the attack on his region resulted in two injuries and damage to several homes. He blamed the Ukrainian army for the strikes.

On 18 August, Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, which continued for six days, affecting multiple storage tanks and increasing the risk of explosions.

The Ukrainian Navy also confirmed it destroyed Russia’s last operational railway ferry in the Kerch Strait, used for transporting fuel,  which now disrupts Russian military logistics to occupied Crimea.

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