Ukrainian Strikes Cause Largest Loss of Russian and North Korean Ammunition in the War, Says UK Intel

Recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian arms depots have resulted in the largest recorded loss of Russian and North Korean ammunition in the war, according to British intelligence.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence made the assessment on September 29, citing satellite imagery showing the aftermath of September strikes on three Russian ammunition depots in the Tver and Krasnodar Krai regions.

Explosions were reported at an ammunition depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region early on September 21. Previously, 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 total tonnage of ammunition destroyed at the three sites marks the biggest loss of Russian and North Korean-supplied munitions so far in the war,” the MOD reported.

The ministry added that the "major" strikes in rapid succession highlighted Russia’s ongoing struggle against Ukrainian drones, which have been effectively used in deep-strike operations within Russian territory.

This comes despite Russia’s deployment of a layered air defense system, including fighter jets, it noted.

“It is highly likely this will force further dispersals in Russia’s logistics chain due to fears of additional strikes, adding more pressure to an already strained system,” the UK MOD stated.

It was reported on May 3 that following the Ukrainian strike on the “Kushevskaya” airfield, Russia was compelled to relocate approximately 40 aircraft of diverse types from the area and disperse them across numerous airfields further away from the front lines.

Ukraine relies on domestically produced drones and long-range weapons for deep strikes inside Russia, as it is prohibited from using Western-supplied long-range missiles against strategic targets in Russian territory.