Explosion at Russian 51st GRAU Arsenal Likely Caused by Drone Attack During Munitions Unloading

The explosion at Russia's 51st GRAU  arsenal may have been caused by a drone attack during the unloading of munitions from railway cars. This possibility is supported by new satellite images from NASA FIRMS.

Following a massive munitions detonation at the arsenal around 4:00 pm on April 22, the warehouses continued to burn with secondary explosions.

Infrared scans from NASA satellites on the morning of April 23 showed that fires were partially contained in certain areas of the military site. The fire continues in areas where affected munitions have accumulated.

Comparing the fire zones with detailed satellite images of the military facility reveals hotspots near the railway platforms in the central, northern, and eastern sections of the site. In these areas, munitions are stored outdoors for extended periods while awaiting loading/unloading and could have been struck by drones.

Additionally, the fire zones cover reinforced bunkers in the central and western parts of the arsenal. While these structures are resistant to drone strikes, they may have been damaged by secondary detonations.

Such destruction of fortified bunkers occurred during explosions at the 107th GRAU arsenal in Toropets, which was hit by Ukrainian drones in September 2024. Of the 38 fortified structures, 12 were completely destroyed, and 7 sustained severe damage without signs of internal detonation. The remaining 19 bunkers in the remote section of the complex appeared to survive.

Authorities have cordoned off the perimeter around the 51st GRAU arsenal, evacuating 495 residents from three nearby villages within a 3-kilometer radius to temporary shelters.

Local Telegram channels also reported forest fires between the settlements of Kirzhach, Barsovo, and Pershino.

Ten kilometers from the arsenal, craters from shell detonations, caused by the initial explosions, were found in the villages of Berezhki and Filippovskoye. Some of these detonations damaged buildings and injured civilians.

"The number of casualties has not changed by the morning: the four individuals reported yesterday, three of whom were hospitalized, are not in life-threatening condition," stated the region's governor, Alexander Avdeev.

Previously, it was reported that unknown drones have attacked the Russian city of Yelabuga in Tatarstan, where the Shahed drone manufacturing plant is located, Mash and ASTRA reported on April 23, while sharing videos of the drones.

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