Ukrainian drone strike on Russian ammo depot to exacerbate strained logistics chains Defence Intelligence report

The Ukrainian forces carried out a drone strike on a Russian ammunition storage depot near Sergeerka in Voronezh Oblast on July 7, 2024, and the UK’s Defence Intelligence described the presumptive consequences in its report. 

The attack led to the near-total destruction of ammunition and equipment housed in both open bermed areas and buildings at the facility, Caliber.Az reports citing the message of the UK’s Defence Ministry on X.

The strike on the ammunition depot, which spanned approximately nine square kilometres, represents a substantial loss. The facility likely stored a combination of surface-to-surface munitions and small arms intended for frontline personnel. This incident will exacerbate Russia's already strained logistics chains and necessitate further dispersal due to the ongoing threat of Ukrainian strikes.

The attack underscores Russia's difficulty in safeguarding key locations, even in areas with a robust air defence system, situated about 80 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. These vulnerabilities could lead to additional losses from well-coordinated Ukrainian operations.

Given Russia's attritional warfare strategy, which demands significant ammunition and shows little regard for the lives of its soldiers, such losses are particularly detrimental. Russia's defence industry is struggling to meet the demand, forcing the country to rely increasingly on limited foreign partners for supply.

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Although Russian forces made significant gains in the first days of combat, Ukrainian defenders rebuffed attempts to seize Kyiv and other major cities and were soon launching counterattacks at Russian positions.