Ukrainian forces attacked a missile storage arsenal in the village of Kotluban, located 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border in Russia’s Volgograd region, in the early morning of Sunday, Sept. 29.
According to Kyiv Post sources in special services, the operation formed part of a coordinated effort involving multiple Ukrainian military agencies, including 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).
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The attack occurred around 2:30 a.m. and involved 120 kamikaze drones. The source indicated that the depot was a large storage complex for missiles, ammunition and explosives, leading to substantial damage and potential supply shortages for Russian forces.
Witnesses on Russian social media reported hearing loud explosions, then saw a large fire in the area, suggesting a significant impact on the storage site.
Meanwhile, the NASA fire monitoring system has recorded three fire points near the ammunition arsenal in Kotluban, as noted by ASTRA. It remains unclear whether the arsenal itself is ablaze.
According to the Wikimapia service, the site in Kotluban is associated with the Main Missile Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed on Sept. 29 to have downed 125 Ukrainian drones on its territory overnight, with regional governors reporting some damage but no casualties from the latest attack.
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"125 Ukrainian fixed-wing UAVs were destroyed and intercepted by air defense systems on duty," the ministry said on Telegram.
Previous attacks by Ukrainian forces
According to ASTRA sources, two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fell on the territory of the arsenal in Kotluban during a mass attack on the night of March 8, 2024. On Nov. 24, 2023, a drone also fell on the same military unit, but there were no casualties or damage reported.
On Nov. 16, the military unit was attacked by a drone, which set fire to a small arms ammunition depot. Over 600 people were evacuated from the airport vicinity.
In a separate incident on the same night, more than 20 Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted the Millerovo military airfield in the Rostov region. ASTRA media sources said that all attacking drones were shot down, although the extent of the damage remains unclear. NASA's fire monitoring system detected fires near the airfield, suggesting a potential impact on military operations. The same airfield was previously attacked in July 2024, resulting in the destruction of a hangar and a fuel depot.
On Sept. 18, as part of a series of targeted strikes on ammunition depots, Ukrainian drones hit an ammunition storage facility in Russia's Tver region. Kyiv Post's sources in Ukraine's Special Services said that it was a joint operation by the HUR, SSO and SBU.
According to the source, the warehouse was home to missiles intended for Iskander operational-tactical missile systems, Tochka-U tactical missile systems, KABs, and artillery ammunition.
This Ukrainian kamikaze drone strike was likely the most damaging long-range attack launched by Kyiv in 30 months of combat, and possibly the most devastating air strike ever to hit Russia, World War II included.
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