On April 22, 2025, russia's 51st GRAU munitions arsenal near Kirzhach, Vladimir region, approximately 80 km east of Moscow, suffered multiple large explosive detonations. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, the depot held approximately 105,000 tonnes of various munitions, including ballistic, air launched and air defense missiles, as well as artillery shells and small arms ammunition for frontline fighting, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Satellite imagery indicates a significant portion of the depot, more than 1 sq km, was damaged by the detonations, suggesting massive losses at a key strategic depot supplying russia's war in Ukraine. Furthermore, fire-damaged, unstable, unexploded munitions may have landed outside of the facility, potentially posing danger to civilians in the vicinity.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence: Ukrainian Counterpressure Continues as russia Struggles to Push Forward
The Ministry of Defence of the russian federation stated that the explosions were due to a fire which then caused a munition detonation. It is highly likely that poor weapons handling procedures alongside negligent storage of munitions resulted in this loss. This is in keeping with a longstanding trend of regularly evidenced russian ineptitude with regards the safe and proper handling of its own munitions.
The 51st GRAU explosions likely resulted in the largest loss of russian munitions caused by russia's own actions in the current war so far.
As Defense Express previously reported, russian forces seized just 200 square kilometers in April, marking one of the slowest months of territorial gains since June 2024.
As Defense Express also outlined earlier, on May 4, 2025, russian President Vladimir Putin stated that since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, "there has been no need to use those [nuclear] weapons... and I hope they will not be required". He also claimed that "russia alone, in fact, is confronting the entire collective West."
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence: Vladimir Putin Again Hints at Nuclear Weapons While Framing War as Clash With "the West"
