### Ukrainian Drone Strike Devastates Russian Missile Depot in Volgograd Region

In a significant blow to Russian military capabilities, Ukrainian forces targeted a missile storage arsenal in the village of Kotluban, Volgograd region, located 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The attack took place in the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 29, and has resulted in extensive damage to the site, which housed missiles, ammunition, and explosives.

According to sources from Kyiv Post, this coordinated strike was a joint operation involving multiple Ukrainian agencies, such as Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), Special Operations Forces (SSO), Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SZRU), and the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The assault involved the deployment of 120 kamikaze drones and targeted the depot around 2:30 a.m. local time.

Witnesses on Russian social media platforms reported hearing loud explosions followed by a massive fire that visibly engulfed the area, highlighting the destructive impact of the attack. Correspondingly, NASA's fire monitoring system recorded three fire points near the ammunition arsenal in Kotluban, corroborating the reported damage.

The site in Kotluban is associated with the Main Missile Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, according to Wikimapia. Despite the severity of the attack, Russia's Defense Ministry announced that its air defense systems managed to down 125 Ukrainian drones overnight. They acknowledged some damage but reported no casualties.

This strike is not an isolated incident. Previous Ukrainian drone attacks have targeted the same and other locations, causing varying degrees of damage. On March 8, 2024, two UAVs were downed over Kotluban during a mass attack. A drone also fell on the same military unit on Nov. 24, 2023, without causing casualties. Further, on Nov. 16, a drone attack set a small arms ammunition depot on fire, prompting an evacuation of over 600 people from the vicinity.

Additionally, on the same night as the Kotluban attack, over 20 Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted the Millerovo military airfield in the Rostov region. According to ASTRA sources, all drones were shot down, although NASA's fire monitoring system indicated fires near the airfield. Previous attacks had also struck this airfield, including one in July 2024 that destroyed a hangar and a fuel depot.

Finally, on Sept. 18, Ukrainian drones launched a coordinated strike on an ammunition storage facility in Russia's Tver region. This operation, involving HUR, SSO, and SBU, targeted a warehouse containing missiles for Iskander and Tochka-U missile systems, as well as other artillery ammunition. This attack was deemed one of the most damaging long-range assaults by Ukrainian forces in the ongoing conflict, with a potentially historical impact.