Kyiv has yet to officially comment on the strike, but a Ukrainian defence source told AFP that the “powerful” explosion was a result of the large number of missiles, tank and artillery shells and ammunition boxes that Russia stored at the site.
A Ukrainian security service source told Reuters that the depot was a 9,000 sq m location that Russia uses to equip its forces in Ukraine.
The source also warned that Ukraine planned further similar strikes: “In the nearest future, there remains a high chance of sudden detonations at Russian military-industrial facilities, which are working [to supply] the war against Ukraine.”
According to open-source intelligence analysts, the depot is located in the small town of Sergeevka, which is south east of the city of Voronezh and around 50 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has not commented on the strike in Voronezh but said that its air defence systems had destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the neighbouring Belgorod region.
Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has launched cross-border drone strikes on Russia on an almost weekly basis.
Targets most often include military bases, oil refineries and industrial facilities but civilian casualties have also been reported.