Ukraine Drones Strike Russian Depot Storing North Korean Ammunition

Ukraine has, for the second time in two weeks, struck another Russian ammunition depot holding North Korean munitions,

These targeted strikes are designed both to destroy the growing numbers of poor quality but numerous North Korean supplies being sent to Russia, but also to let the Kremlin and the North Koreans know that Ukraine knows where these are being sent and that Russia is powerless to protect them. JL

The Kyiv Post reports:

An ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region, housing weapons from North Korea, along with glide bombs and artillery shells, was hit by a drone strike early on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The attack targeted the 67th GRAU arsenal [GRAU - Main Missile and Artillery Directorate], located near the town of Karachev, 114 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Videos circulating online show fires and explosions near Karachev, resulting from a drone strike on the depot. Russian media outlets shared footage of bright flashes and continuous detonations.

An ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region, believed to house weapons from North Korea, along with glide bombs and artillery shells, was reportedly hit by a drone strike early morning on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security Council, confirmed the incident on Telegram.

Kyiv regularly hits Russian infrastructure with drones as Moscow's offensive drags on for more than two and a half years.

According to Kovalenko, the attack targeted the 67th GRAU arsenal [GRAU - Main Missile and Artillery Directorate], located near the town of Karachev, about 114 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Satellite image. (Google/Defense Express)

 

Videos circulating online show fires and explosions near Karachev, possibly resulting from a drone strike on the depot. Russian media outlets have shared footage of bright flashes and continuous detonations.

 

Russia's Defense Ministry also reported that during the night, air defense forces shot down 47 Ukrainian drones, with 24 intercepted over the Bryansk region. The region's governor, Alexander Bogomaz, has not reported any casualties or major damage on the ground.

The incident follows similar strikes in September when Ukrainian forces attacked large ammunition depots in Russia's Tver and Krasnodar regions.

 

On Sept. 21, the Armed forces of Ukraine said it had hit a depot near the city of Tikhoretsk in Krasnodar, calling it one of Moscow's "three largest ammunition storage bases" important to the Russian army's logistics for its Ukraine invasion.

It also said it struck an arsenal in Tver region's Oktyabrsky village, resulting in a "fire and detonation".

Videos on social media showed a massive explosion in the dark, resembling fireworks at first before blowing up loudly, with online reports that an ammunition depot was struck.

 

Prior to that, on Sept. 18, a Ukrainian kamikaze drone strike hit Toropets Northeast Ammunition Depot in Russia’s Tver region in what is believed to be the most damaging long-range attack launched by Kyiv in 30 months of combat and possibly the most devastating air strike ever to hit Russia, World War II included.

Following a 2018-2020 renovation of the site, Russian state-controlled media had billed Toropets as the most modern and attack-resistant munitions storage facility in all of the Russian Federation.