Massive Drone Attack in Russia’s Tver Region Triggers Earthquake and Smoke Plume Visible from Space

An explosion at ammunition warehouses in Toropets, Tver region, Russia, triggered a 2.8 magnitude earthquake, the largest quake in 10 years, according to the earthquake monitoring service Volcanodiscovery.

The first tremor was recorded at 3:56 a.m. on Sept. 18, 2024, followed by seven smaller aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 2.0 to 2.8. The shallow earthquake, with a depth of 0 km, was felt by some residents near the epicenter, located 17.6 kilometers (11 miles) from Toropets.

Satellite imagery from OSINTtechnical revealed that a massive smoke plume from the fire is visible from space, emphasizing the scale of the incident.

According to Russian sources, over 100 Ukrainian drones were used in the attack on the ammunition depot, which led to the explosions and a subsequent earthquake.

On the night of September 18, drones struck a military unit in Russia’s Tver region, igniting fires and causing ammunition warehouses to explode.

The attack on the ammunition depot near the city of Toropets in Russia’s Tver region was carried out by drones from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), and Special Operations Forces, a source in the intelligence services.