Ukraine updates: Arsenal in Russia's Tver region explodes
September 18, 2024
What you need to know
A major Ukrainian drone attack on Russia caused a huge explosion and forced the partial evacuation of residents living near a large Russian arsenal in the western Tver region.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks targeted energy facilities in Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy and killed one person in the central city of Kropyvnytskyi, regional officials said.
Here's the news from Russia's war in Ukraine on Wednesday, September 18.
Russian attacks target energy facilities, kill one in Ukraine
Russian airstrikes targeted energy facilities in Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy and killed one person in the central city of Kropyvnytskyi, regional officials said.
Ukraine's air force said it shot down 46 of 52 drones launched by Moscow overnight and that Russia used three guided air missiles that failed to reach their targets.
Authorities in the central Kirovohrad region said one person was killed, a 90-year-old woman was wounded and several residential buildings were damaged in Kropyvnytskyi.
Meanwhile, Sumy regional authorities said air defenses had shot down 16 drones over the region, where energy infrastructure has repeatedly come under fire, forcing authorities to use backup power systems.
Huge explosion at arsenal in Russia's Tver region
A major Ukrainian drone attack triggered a huge explosion and forced the partial evacuation of residents near the site of a large Russian arsenal near the town of Toropets in Russia's western Tver region.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had shot down 54 Ukrainian drones launched overnight, half of them over the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces have been waging a counteroffensive since August, but didn't mention Toropets.
Toropets has a population of just over 11,000 and is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Moscow.
Firefighters were trying to contain the blaze, Igor Rudenya, the governor of the Tver region, said in a post on the region's Telegram messaging channel. He did not say what was burning.
NASA satellites picked up several heat sources emanating from the site in the early hours of Wednesday, and seismic monitoring stations picked up what sensors thought was a small earthquake in the area.
Power cuts were announced in parts of the Tver region on Wednesday, and schools and kindergartens were canceled, the local administration said, following reports of a drone attack on the region.
According to Ukrainian security sources, Ukrainian drones struck a missile and artillery storage facility in Toropets, causing a powerful explosion and massive fire.
dh/sms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)