A combination of inadequate weapons handling and poor storage practices is believed to have caused the explosions at Russia’s 51st GRAU arsenal in late April, according to the UK Defense Ministry.
In an intelligence update, the ministry estimated that the blasts marked the Kremlin’s most significant loss of munitions due to its own forces’ actions since the onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine. The ministry stated, “It is highly likely that poor weapons handling procedures alongside negligent storage of munitions resulted in this loss,” emphasizing a trend of Russian shortcomings in munitions safety.
The ammunition depot, located about 50 miles northeast of Moscow in the Vladimir region, experienced multiple explosions after a fire broke out on April 22. Although the Kremlin did not identify the facility by name, it confirmed that a fire at a depot in the region triggered munitions detonations, blaming “the violation of safety requirements when working with explosive materials.”
Satellite images from Business Insider indicated that the Russian arsenal sustained extensive damage, with over a square kilometer affected by the explosions. This suggests significant losses at a key strategic depot supporting Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. Footage circulating on social media depicted secondary explosions occurring in nearby civilian areas surrounding the depot.
The UK Defense Ministry cited Ukrainian sources, stating that the 51st GRAU depot contained around 105,000 tons of munitions, including various types of missiles and artillery shells. Andriy Kovalenko, head of Kyiv’s Center for Countering Disinformation, confirmed that artillery shells were also stored at the depot.
This location has reportedly faced explosive incidents before; Russian state media previously reported four fatalities in June 2022 due to a “spontaneous detonation” during the loading and unloading of munitions.