Fire engulfs Russian military depot near Moscow: What we know so far
April 23, 2025, 10:40 (UTC +3)
Russian MoD says no casualties, claims fire caused by mishandling of explosives
Secondary explosions at the 51st GRAU (Main Missile and Artillery Directorate) arsenal near Kirzhach, Vladimir Oblast, persisted through the night. Satellite data from NASA’s FIRMS system confirms that the entire facility, spanning 502 hectares, is ablaze.
NASAThe Russian Ministry of Defense released a statement on April 22, 2025, denying any casualties and attributing the incident to “a violation of safety requirements when working with explosive materials.” In response, an official investigation was ordered. The ministry said that “the guilty officials will be held accountable.”
According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), the 51st GRAU Arsenal stores approximately 105,000 tons of weapons, including Iskander, Tochka-U, and Kinzhal missiles; ammunition for Pantsir-S1, S-300, and S-400 air defense systems; as well as Grad, Smerch, and Uragan multiple rocket launchers.
On April 22, 2025, a powerful explosion shook the 51st Arsenal of Russia’s Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU), located near Kirzhach in the Vladimir Oblast, approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) northeast of Moscow and around 530 kilometers (330 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The blast set off a chain of secondary detonations and a large-scale fire, prompting the evacuation of nearby villages and the closure of the main road linking Moscow to Kirzhach.
Reportedly, this is the moment of the explosion at the military arsenal in Vladimir region of Russia. https://t.co/cFA6hhXxeG pic.twitter.com/O4UitETrCO— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 22, 2025
“An explosion occurred in the Kirzhach district. Responsible services are working at the scene,” the Kirzhach district administration stated on Telegram. “The evacuation of the villages of Barsovo and Mirny, Kirzhach district, is underway.”
The 51st GRAU Arsenal, spanning 502 hectares, is a strategic site within Russia’s military infrastructure, responsible for the storage and management of various missile and artillery systems.
BREAKING (04/22/2025): The AFU conducted a successful strike (long-range UAV) today on the 51st GRAU (Main Missile and Artillery Directorate) located 8-km SW of #Kirzhach, Vladimir Oblast, Russia.Location: 56.100029, 38.751010#OSINT pic.twitter.com/nkpZFb50Tq— OSINT Intuit (@UKikaski) April 22, 2025
Ukrainian strike capabilities expand
Initial speculation from Ukrainian Telegram channels and open-source military observers suggested that the explosion may have been the result of a Ukrainian long-range drone strike, potentially involving the domestically produced Palianytsia (or Palyanytsia) turbojet drone missile system, capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory. However, these claims have not been independently verified, and Ukrainian authorities have provided no official confirmation.
Developed during the ongoing Russian invasion and first unveiled in the summer of 2024, Palianytsia is designed for precision long-range attacks. With an operational range exceeding 700 kilometers (430 miles), it is intended to disrupt key logistical and military targets far from the front line.
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This would not be the first suspected Ukrainian drone strike against a facility of the GRAU. On the night of September 17 to 18, 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on the 107th Arsenal in Toropets, 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Ukrainian soil. The post Fire engulfs Russian military depot near Moscow: What we know so far appeared first on AeroTime.
On April 22, 2025, a powerful explosion shook the 51st Arsenal of Russia’s Main Missile and Artillery Directorate…
The post Fire engulfs Russian military depot near Moscow: What we know so far appeared first on AeroTime.
