Ukraine-Russia war live: Mass drone attack on Russian arms depot sparks huge fire as war casualties reach 1m
Massive explosion at ammo depot forces evacuations and closure of schools in western Russia
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
A “massive” Ukrainian drone attack on an arms depot in Russia’s Tver region which sparked huge fires and caused a blast picked up by earthquake monitors has led to evacuations, power cuts and school closures.
The attack caused an “extremely powerful detonation” at a Russian defence ministry warehouse in the 1,000-year-old town of Toropets, containing Iskander and Tochka-U tactical missile systems, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition, a source in Ukraine’s SBU security service said.
Russian state media had suggested in 2018 that the site at the 1,000-year-old town of Toropets – which sits northwest of Moscow, and 65 miles from the Belarus border – was home to a major arsenal for conventional weaponry.
It came as fresh estimates from Western intelligence suggested the total number of casualties from Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine may have exceeded one million.
The figure includes 80,000 Ukrainian troops killed and 400,000 wounded, according to a confidential estimate from Kyiv reported by the Wall Street Journal. Estimates of Russian casualties vary but are expected to number around 200,000 killed and 400,000 wounded.
David Lammy says climate change is more urgent threat than terrorism or Putin
In sharing nuclear secrets with Iran, Putin may have crossed his own ‘red line’
What is the Storm Shadow cruise missile? The British weapon banned from use in Russia by Ukrainian troops
Mapped: Russia launches counterattack in Kursk after sending ‘significant’ forces to the region
Power outages in Russia’s Tver region after ‘Ukrainian drone attack'
Power outages have been announced in parts of Russia’s Tver region, local officials said in the wake of reports of a Ukrainian drone attack on the region.
The administration of the Zapadnodvinsky district in Tver said on the social Vkontatke network that several parts of the district will be without power. It did not say what caused the outages.
The district borders the Toropetsky district, where officials said a Ukrainian drone attack sparked fire and forced partial evacuation of the town of Toropets.
Ukraine says it shot down 46 drones overnight
The Ukrainian air force has said it had shot down 46 of 52 drones launched by Russia overnight.
The air force also said Russia had used three guided air missiles during the attack.
Finland’s president calls for end of single veto power at UN security council
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb has called for expansion of the UN security council, abolition of its single-state veto power, and suspension of any member engaging in an “illegal war” such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Stubb, who leads the Nordic nation’s foreign policy, said he would add his voice to reform calls at next week’s UN General Assembly in New York which is to discuss composition of the global body’s security council.
Consisting of five permanent and 10 rotating member states, the council’s brief is to keep global peace, but geopolitical rivalries have deadlocked it on issues from Ukraine to Gaza.
Mr Stubb said he would propose the number of permanent members be expanded from five to 10, with one more from Latin America, two from Africa and two from Asia, telling Reuters: “No single state should have veto power in the UN Security Council.”
What we know about massive Ukrainian drone attack on Tver, Russia
- A giant blast has forced the partial evacuation of a Russian town in the Tver region after a major Ukrainian drone attack was reported, officials said
- The attack targeted the site of a large Russian arsenal, according to war bloggers and Ukrainian journalists
- Nasa satellites picked up several sources of fires emanating from the site in the early hours of today
- Earthquake monitoring stations picked up what sensors thought was a minor earthquake in the area
- Videos of the explosion showed a huge ball of flame blasting high into the night sky and detonations thundering across a lake in the region that lies northwest of Moscow and not far from the border with Belarus.
- Fire fighters were trying to contain the fire, said Igor Rudenya, the governor of the Tver region
- Russia was building an arsenal for the storage of missiles, ammunition and explosives in Toropets, a 1,000-year-old town
- Russian state media in 2018 had suggested it was a major arsenal for conventional weapons.
- The impact of the explosions and whether there are any casualties is not immediately clear
- Size of the main blast shown consistent with 200-240 tons of high explosives detonating, according to George William Herbert of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California
- Schools and kindergartens were moved online in the Zapadnodvinsky district, which borders the Toropetsky district
Russia destroys 54 Ukrainian drones overnight
Russia’s air defence units destroyed 54 drones that Ukraine launched overnight targeting five Russian regions, its defence ministry said.
Of these, half of the drones were destroyed over the border Kursk region, while the rest were downed over the Bryansk, Smolensk, Oryol and Belgorod regions, the Russian defence ministry said.
The defence ministry did not mention the Tver region where reports suggest a Ukrainian drone attack has sparked a massive fire at an ammo depot, forcing the partial evacuation of the town of Toropets.
Ukraine boxing champ released from Polish detention
Undisputed heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk has been released after he was detained by police at Poland’s Krakow airport, Volodymyr Zelensky said today.
“I was outraged by this attitude towards our citizen and champion,” he said on Telegram. “Our champion was released and no one is detaining him anymore.”
It was not immediately clear why the 37-year-old Usyk was detained. The WBC, WBO and WBA champion, who also won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, has become a national hero and supports Kyiv’s war efforts with fundraising.
Usyk also confirmed his release from detention by Polish authorities. “Friends, everything is fine,” Usyk said in an Instagram post. “There was a misunderstanding that was quickly resolved. Thank you to everyone who was concerned.”
He added: “Respect to the Polish law enforcement officers who perform their duties regardless of height, weight, arm span, and titles.”
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that his ministry will contact the Polish foreign ministry, as it considered the detention “disproportionate and unacceptable in relation to our champion.”
How Ukraine’s war changed Oleksandr Usyk – and how it didn’t
As Usyk bids to beat Tyson Fury and become the undisputed heavyweight champion, Alex Pattle speaks to the Ukrainian’s promoter and compatriots about his role in the war and importance back home
Mapped: Russia launches probing counterattack in Kursk
Mapped: Russia launches Kursk counterattack after sending ‘significant’ forces
Ukraine says Russia has ‘quadrupled’ it’s force personnel in the Kursk region in time for a counterattack
Massive explosion at ammo depot forces Russian town’s evacuation
A Ukrainian drone attack has forced the partial evacuation of the town of Toropets, deep inside Russian territory, the site of a large ammunition depot.
This is likely the biggest attack of its kind successfully targeting Russia’s ammunition stockpiles.
According to an RIA state news agency report from 2018, Russia was building an arsenal for the storage of missiles, ammunition and explosives in Toropets, a 1,000-year-old town, which has a population of just over 11,000.
The massive explosion also forced schools and kindergartens to be closed in the region, with classes moved online in the Zapadnodvinsky district near Toropetsky, local officials said.
A regional governor said fire fighters were trying to contain the fire but did not mention what was burning or the cause. There was no information about casualties as a result of the Wednesday attack on Tver.
Russia says its air defence units destroyed 54 drones that Ukraine launched overnight targeting five western Russian regions.
Blinken briefed on Ukraine plan to end Russia’s war, says US
Antony Blinken has been briefed on elements of a Ukrainian plan to push Russia to end the war, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said last night.
The plan has been touted as “nothing impossible” with “90 per cent of it already laid out” by Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, State Department’s Miller said Blinken shared the ambassador’s assessment but declined to say more on it for now.
“I think I ought to let President Zelensky, whose plan ultimately this is, speak to the details of it,” Mr Miller said.
Mr Zelensky first spoke of his “victory plan” last month, saying he wanted to discuss it with Joe Biden. He is expected to present it on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York next week that he said he hopes to attend.
Earlier yesterday, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington had seen the plan. “We think it lays out a strategy and a plan that can work,” she said.
Lammy says climate change more of a threat than terrorism or Putin
David Lammy says climate change is more urgent threat than terrorism or Putin
Foreign secretary says tackling the global warming crisis will also boost economic growth in the UK, as he compares risks to the Russian president who is threatening war with Nato
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments