Ukraine destroys one of Russia’s largest ammo sites, 700 km from the border
The Kremlin is running out of depth to move critical sites further back.
The Russian ammunition storage site in the town of Toropets, Tver, is nowhere near Ukraine. It’s closer to Latvia, far up in the north, and not too far from Moscow — the kind of location one would assume to be safe from Ukrainian strikes. The 700 km distance from Ukraine, coupled with the fact that Western leaders are still debating whether to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory, likely gave the Kremlin a false sense of security regarding its deep sites.
It was a massive facility.
“According to a RIA state news agency report from 2018, Russia was building an arsenal for the storage of missiles, ammunition and explosives in Toropets, a 1,000-year-old town, which has a population of just over 11,000”.
A site this massive requires a significant response. Ukraine must have sent one of its largest drone fleets to Toropets. Given the size of the facility, approximately 5 square kilometers, it’s unlikely that the entire site would have gone up in flames from just one or two drones hitting a section.
With an ammo depot, things can cascade, but there would have been some protections in place to prevent the fire from spreading from one area to another. It’s still unclear how many drones were sent to target the Toropets ammo depot, but the extent of the fire suggests that Ukrainian drones successfully hit multiple parts of the facility.
How Russia left such an important site unprotected against Ukraine’s long-range attacks is something only Kremlin officials and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan might know. I have no idea. They left it vulnerable, and it got hit. Things are still exploding, and Russia has ordered the residents to evacuate the town.
According to Ukrainian military bloggers, citing Russian sources, the Toropets Ammunition Depot spans 660 acres and includes 47 storage buildings, 13 support buildings, 2 administration buildings, 11 barracks, 8 storage/maintenance buildings, and a housing area. Given the intensity of the fire, not much will remain after it burns out. It’s likely the fire will just be allowed to run its course.
One strike has destroyed thousands of tons of ammunition. This alone highlights the importance of allowing Ukraine to target Russia’s military sites deep within its territory. Either you destroy the ammunition inside Russia, or you watch it being dropped repeatedly on Ukraine.
You can’t visit Kyiv, tell its people you’ll stand with them for as long as it takes, and then turn around and tell Ukrainian officials they can’t destroy Russian ammunition depots — they have to wait for the ammo to be dropped on them before responding.
What kind ofsupport is that?
Yet, I see very little movement on this issue. While Congress and the Senate have applied considerable pressure on the Biden administration to keep its commitment to European allies and Ukraine, the administration continues to stall the request.
Will they change?
I’m not entirely sure, but I think they’ll revert to their performative support. They will most likely relax certain restrictions, perhaps allowing Ukraine to strike specific targets, giving them a list of what can be hit, when it can be hit, and what kinds of weapons can be used. They won’t miss the opportunity to maintain control over Ukraine’s responses.
There’s one thing I’m becoming increasingly confident about: thanks to pressure from Democratic and Republican members of the House and Senate, the Biden administration will likely release a large aid package. They will probably focus our attention on the dollar value of the package. The administration has a tendency to ship large quantities of low-end weapons while inflating the cost value of the shipment, something they’ve done skillfully.
I, too, was fooled by this for a long time, but eventually, the reality caught up with me. So, when they announce the next big package, I’ll be paying close attention to the specific weapons being sent. The United States still hasn’t delivered the one Patriot air defense battery it promised months ago. Germany promised and delivered. Romania promised, and the system is expected to arrive in Ukraine soon. Italy promised a SAMP/T long-range air defense unit, which is also set to be delivered shortly. But the units promised by the Netherlands and the U.S. are still missing.
The Netherlands was dependent on another ally to supply certain components, though the ally’s name was never made public. Reports suggest that this ally is refusing to provide the components, which explains the delay in the Dutch unit. That, I can understand. But what excuse do President Biden and his National Security Advisor have for not delivering the U.S. Patriot air defense unit?
I can only think of one reason. One word: Kursk.
But whatever the case, they are writing their own legacies. Meanwhile, the European Union has decided to go it alone on the Ukraine loan package.
Can President Biden and his National Security Advisor explain how exactly we arrived at this point? Europe is gradually distancing itself from the United States, one issue at a time.
How is this not a national security concern for the U.S.? In a world teetering on the edge of chaos, unity is our greatest strength. For years, President Biden took pride in claiming he held the alliance together against Russia. And for the first few months, he did. But the way he has handled things since — and continues to handle them — is driving a wedge between Europe and the United States.
The breakup isn’t complete yet. As with any relationship, it’s not the conflict that matters, but the effort to repair it. It will now fall to Democratic and Republican members of the House and Senate to push the Biden administration in the right direction. They must work to minimize the damage before it’s too late.
Yes, the upcoming Harris administration may offer the opportunity to reset the relationship with Europe. But until then, the House and Senate must keep President Biden and his team in check.
Thanks for reading. Making critical information on Ukraine accessible is one way to fight misinformation. That’s why I’ve made 282 stories free to the public in 2024, including this one.
