Ukrainian forces destroyed a thermobaric ammunition depot belonging to the Russian Armed Forces in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast on the night of 27-28 February, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
The military strike targeted a Russian weapons storage facility near the settlement of Selydove, the General Staff noted in their announcement on Facebook on 28 February.
“Ukrainian defense forces destroyed a thermobaric ammunition storage depot belonging to Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast, in the Selydove area,” Ukraine’s General Staff stated.
Video footage of the attack shared by the General Staff shows powerful detonation of ammunition resulting in a fire. Following the explosions, fragments and munitions scattered dozens of meters from the facility, Militarnyi says.
Analysts from the Dnipro OSINT group Harbuz determined that Russian forces had established this ammunition depot on the territory of a coal mine in the city of Selydove.
“Based on the scale and power of the detonation, it can be assumed that the Russians could have stored thermobaric rockets for TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower systems at this depot, which are actively used at the front,” Militarnyi stated.
The military has not disclosed which weapons were used to strike the Russian ammunition depot in the temporarily occupied territory, Militarnyi noted.
The ammunition storage facility, located less than 10 kilometers from the frontline, was within range of various Ukrainian weapons, including FPV drones, artillery, and missiles.
Other targets
The General Staff says that in addition to the ammunition depot, Ukrainian forces also reportedly struck “three other important Russian targets,” including the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, which supplies the Russian occupation army.
The results of these strikes are still being assessed, military added.
Fire, secondary detonations reported at Vektor plant in Russia’s Kursk Oblast
Thermobaric weapons
A thermobaric munition, also called aerosol or vacuum ammunition, is a type of explosive that works by dispersing an aerosol cloud of gas, liquid, or powdered explosive before igniting it. It uses the effect of a volumetric explosion of an aerosol cloud of flammable substance. These weapons are designed to produce enhanced temperature and pressure compared to conventional explosives and are often referred to as fuel-air explosives.
Related:
- Fire, secondary detonations reported at Vektor plant in Russia’s Kursk Oblast
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- Ukraine’s Security Service destroys Russian ammo depot with drones in Donetsk Oblast
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- Ukraine hit strategic Russian ammo depot in overnight attack, likely using ATACMS (video)
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