Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is intensifying his appeal for increased U.S. military aid after Ukrainian drone strikes targeted key Russian arms depots, setting off massive explosions and destroying significant caches of ammunition, including missiles reportedly supplied by North Korea. The large-scale attack, involving over 100 drones, took place overnight on Saturday, igniting fires in multiple locations across southern Russia and occupied Crimea, according to Russian news outlets and the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Ukrainian General Staff claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating that "at least 2,000 tons" of weapons were destroyed. Among the stockpiles hit were missiles allegedly provided by North Korea, which have been part of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. The strikes targeted depots in Russia's Tver and Krasnodar regions, triggering evacuations as local residents fled the areas to escape the ensuing explosions.
In response, Zelenskyy pressed for more immediate action from the U.S. as he prepares to visit Washington next week with a "victory plan" that outlines Ukraine's terms for negotiations with Russia. The plan, which includes long-range strike capabilities, will serve as the foundation for future talks with Moscow, Zelenskyy indicated in a press briefing on Friday. "This will be the start and foundation for talking in any format with Russia. In any format, with any of its representatives, because there will be a plan and something to show," he stated.
Zelenskyy also addressed U.S. concerns about the potential for escalation if Ukraine were to use Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia. Thus far, Kyiv has relied on its own military capabilities to carry out these attacks. "I think that Biden is really getting information from his entourage today that there may be an escalation," Zelenskyy said, though he stressed that not everyone in Washington shares that view.
Russian Telegram channels report one more drone attack on an ammunitions warehouse in Oktyabrskoye, Tver region of Russia.
NASA fire maps show a large fire in that area. https://t.co/HJYCO04SbX pic.twitter.com/8ZnOr39A6X — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) September 21, 2024
The latest Ukrainian drone strike marks a significant blow to Russian military logistics. Reports from Russia's Tver region, about 380 kilometers (240 miles) northwest of Moscow, detailed the destruction of a missile depot near the town of Toropets. The UK's defense ministry described the site as "one of Russia's largest strategic ammunition depots directly supporting its operation in Ukraine." It noted that the strike had likely caused "enormous losses of ordnance."
In a separate attack, another ammunition depot in the Krasnodar region caught fire, leading to a series of explosions in the town of Tikhoretsk, near Russia's southern border. Russian state media reported that air defenses had intercepted Ukrainian drones, but debris from the downed drones triggered the fire. "The falling debris of one [drone] caused a fire that spread to explosive objects which detonated," Veniamin Kondratyev, Governor of Krasnodar, said in a statement on Telegram. Residents of nearby villages were evacuated as a precaution.
Although the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 101 Ukrainian drones overnight, the scale of the destruction suggests that Ukraine's attacks inflicted significant damage on key Russian military facilities. Unverified images shared on social media showed massive fireballs and smoke plumes rising over the depots, while detonations could be heard in the background.
As Ukraine ramps up its attacks on Russian military infrastructure, Moscow has continued to launch drone and missile strikes against Ukrainian cities. In Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown, Russian missiles killed a 12-year-old boy and two elderly women during an overnight strike, according to regional Governor Serhii Lysak. Three others were injured as Russian missiles hit residential buildings.
In the Kharkiv region, Russian airstrikes injured at least 15 civilians, including several teenagers. The strikes, reportedly carried out by Su-34 fighter jets, hit three districts of the city, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. The bombings have further strained Ukraine's air defense systems, which have been adapting to new threats from Russia's aerial assault.
Amid the escalating violence, Zelenskyy's call for increased U.S. military support takes on heightened urgency. His upcoming meeting with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington will focus on securing additional long-range missile systems and other advanced weaponry. Zelenskyy's "victory plan" will also be presented to other U.S. political leaders, including former President Donald Trump, as part of his strategy to ensure bipartisan support for Ukraine in the face of the ongoing conflict.
While the U.S. has provided substantial military aid to Ukraine throughout the war, Zelenskyy emphasized the need for quicker action, warning that delays in supplying long-range missiles would diminish their tactical value. "The longer Western partners wait to allow the use of long-range missiles, the more tactically obsolete their value will become," he said.
