Recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian facilities in Tikhoretsk and Toropets will almost certainly cause at least short-term disruptions to the system of supply of the Russian army.
On the night of 20-21 September, Ukrainian forces targeted Russian ammunition depots in Tikhoretsk and another facility in Toropets, located in Tver Oblast, with drones.
It followed a previous successful strike on another depot in Toropets on 18 September, which likely destroyed at least 30,000 tons of ammunition stored both above ground and in bunkers.
“The strikes will almost certainly cause, at a minimum, short-term disruption to Russian artillery and small-arms munitions supplies, critical resources in a war of attrition dominated by mass fires,” stated the UK Defense Ministry, adding that the total amount of ammunition destroyed across the three sites represents the most extensive loss of Russian and North Korean munitions during the war.
British intelligence believes that these powerful strikes demonstrated that despite Russia deploying a complex multi-layered air defense system around Ukraine, it continues to struggle against Ukrainian drones used in deep strike operations within Russia.
“It is highly likely this will force further dispersals in the Russian logistics chain for fear of additional strikes, increasing the burden on an already stretched system,” said the intelligence report.
Estonia previously stated that Ukraine’s successful airstrikes targeting Russian military depots should begin to affect the front lines as early as October, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Those assaults will become a significant challenge for Russia to conduct its defense operations in Kursk Oblast.
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