In a significant escalation of tensions, drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) targeted and detonated an ammunition depot located 300 kilometers inside Russia, according to confirmation by a Ukrainian official. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, resulted in a massive explosion at a warehouse in the Voronezh region, causing extensive damage but no civilian casualties.

Despite Russia claiming to have successfully shot down all Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Sunday, debris from one of the drones triggered the detonation at the warehouse, as stated by Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev. The warehouse had reportedly stored a variety of missiles, tank shells, artillery ammunition, and cartridges for firearms.

The blast, which was witnessed by locals in the Sergeevka village and could be seen for tens of kilometers, lasted for over 20 hours. As a result, the local government was left with no choice but to evacuate over 80 residents from the area. Fortunately, only one private house suffered significant damage, which authorities assured could be repaired.

While attacks in Russia are rarely officially claimed by the Ukrainian SBU, a law enforcement official confided to POLITICO that the targeted depot was known to house weapons used by Russia in its ongoing military operations against Ukraine. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the deepening conflict between the two countries, with Ukraine taking a proactive approach to disrupt Russia's military capabilities.

As of Sunday evening, Governor Gusev reported that the situation was starting to normalize, and the detonations were occurring less frequently. Efforts to mitigate the damages and assess the full extent of the destruction will be undertaken in the coming days.