Russian ammunition depot burns after drone attack in Ukraine

A nighttime Ukrainian drone strike set fire to a Russian ammunition depot in the Voronezh region near the border between the two countries, Russian and Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.

“Several drones were detected and destroyed by air defense systems over the Voronezh region overnight,” regional governor Alexander Gusev wrote on Telegram.

“Their falling debris sparked a fire at a depot” in Podgorensky District, about 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

“Explosives began to detonate,” Gusev said, adding that there was no indication that anyone was injured.

Rescue teams were on site and Gusev said the population living near the depot was being evacuated.

A Ukrainian defense source told AFP that their drones hit the ammunition factory in a nighttime attack.

“The enemy stored surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, shells for tanks and artillery, and boxes of ammunition” at the site that was attacked by drones, leading to a “massive” explosion, the source said.

Russia and Ukraine have used drones extensively since the start of the Russian military offensive in February 2022, including large explosive devices with a range of hundreds of kilometers.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russian territory this year, targeting both energy facilities it says supply the Russian army and towns and villages just across the border.