In a coordinated overnight drone attack from September 20 to 21, Ukrainian forces successfully targeted Russian missile and ammunition storage facilities, as well as a mobile radar system, according to reports from the Ukrainian General Staff. The strikes hit key military installations, including the Tikhoretsk Arsenal near Kamenny in Krasnodar Krai, and the Russian Ministry of Defense’s 23rd Arsenal near Oktyabrsky in Tver Oblast.
Footage released on September 20 and 21 showed explosions and secondary detonations at both arsenals, with fires continuing to burn throughout the following day.
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According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the Tikhoretsk Arsenal contained at least 2,000 tons of munitions, including supplies reportedly sourced from North Korea. An unnamed source from the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) indicated that the Russian 23rd Arsenal housed Iskander and Tochka-U ballistic missiles. Ukrainian forces also reportedly struck the Shaykovka Airfield in Kaluga Oblast, though details remain unclear.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed its forces intercepted 101 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 18 in Krasnodar Krai and three in Tver Oblast. Authorities in Krasnodar Krai attributed the Tikhoretsk Arsenal explosion to debris from Ukrainian drones, prompting a local state of emergency, evacuation of about 1,200 civilians, and altered railway schedules.
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The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense reported that another Russian military facility, the 103rd Arsenal near Toropets, had recently undergone modernization following a previous Ukrainian strike. The modernization was prompted by improper munitions storage that led to repeated explosions at Russian depots.
Ukrainian forces also successfully targeted a Russian Podlet K1 mobile long-range radar system, which was protecting the Tikhoretsk Arsenal. This marks at least the fifth Podlet K1 system damaged or destroyed by Ukrainian forces since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The Podlet K1 system, introduced into Russian service in 2015, can detect up to 200 aerial targets simultaneously and is used to support Russian air defenses, including S-300 and S-400 systems.
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Ukrainian forces have previously damaged or destroyed Podlet K1 systems in various locations, including Kherson Oblast and Belgorod Oblast. The ongoing strikes continue to target Russia’s critical military infrastructure, weakening its operational capabilities.
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