Large Russian ammunition depot destroyed in Donetsk amid Moscow's gains in east
- 16 December, 10:50
Ukraine’s intelligence forces have claimed destroying a Russian ammunition depot containing a large amount of weapons and ammunition in occupied eastern region of Donetsk on the night leading to Monday, December 16.
A source within the Security Service of Ukraine, SBU, told local media that Security Service’s drones “unleashed hellish explosions at artillery and mortar depots” near the village of Markine in Donetsk region held by Russian troops.
The depot was used to store thousands of rounds of ammunition for infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, mines, grenades, anti-tank guided missiles, and millions of rounds of ammunition of various calibers. According the intelligence source, a chain of explosions occurred as a result of Ukrainian drone attack and continued throughout the night. Apart from the ammunition depot, neighboring fuel and lubricants storage facility was also destroyed during the operation, the source added.
Earlier, the Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, HUR, reported that it destroyed a Russian Su-27 fighter aircraft at the military airfield in the Russian city of Krymsk in southern Krasnodar region. A video footage posted on Telegram app showed the aircraft burning. In yet another sabotage carried out by Ukrainian intelligence forces, a Russian train carrying 40 oil tanks was damaged in south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region over the weekend.
Russia has been stepping attacks on Ukraine’s east and south in an attempt to make gains before the possible signing of a peace agreement with Kyiv after US president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.
According to British intelligence report of Sunday, December 15, Russia made further gains to the south of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Russian troops have reportedly captured the village of Shevchenko and are around 3km from the southern outskirts of Pokrovsk.
