Destroyed arsenal near Moscow: What was stored and why it was a complex target
Photo: Explosions occurred at the 51st GRAU arsenal near Moscow (screenshot)
Around 105 tons of weapons and missiles of various types were stored at the 51st Main Missile and Artillery Directorate's (GRAU) arsenal near Moscow, where explosions occurred today. It was one of the most challenging targets to strike, given the level of security around it, according to Defense Express and the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), Andriy Kovalenko.
According to analysts from Defense Express, the 51st GRAU arsenal in the Vladimir region had a designed capacity of 264,000 tons of various munitions and was protected by Russia’s most concentrated air defense system.
"Its approximate area is 3.5 square kilometers. And based on the available videos filmed by Russians, it is possible to speak of this storage site in the past tense," the outlet notes.
Experts believe, judging by the videos circulating online, that the explosion involved solid-fuel missiles — either anti-aircraft or ballistic — as well as rocket projectiles for multiple launch rocket systems.
What was stored at the 51st GRAU arsenal
The 51st GRAU arsenal housed a total of 45 separate storage facilities and 30 open storage sites for munitions. How many of them remained at the time of the strike is unknown.
However, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), the site contained large stockpiles of artillery shells and various types of missiles, including Iskander, Tochka-U, Kinzhal, as well as munitions for Pantsir-S1, S-300, S-400, and multiple launch rocket systems such as Grad, Smerch, and Uragan. In total, the arsenal held approximately 105,000 tons of weaponry.
Why the 51st GRAU arsenal was a difficult target
Given the amount of weaponry stored there and its location just 60 kilometers from the Russian capital, the arsenal was considered a highly significant target. It is situated east of Moscow near the town of Kirzhach in the Vladimir region, about 530 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
According to Defense Express estimates, the strike on the 51st GRAU arsenal can objectively be regarded as the most challenging, as the site was heavily protected by Russian air defense systems.
"At the same time, Russia did not issue any alerts regarding potential strikes by Ukrainian drones or missiles. This means either other means were used, or Russia’s air defense system failed to detect the attack," the analysts concluded.
Explosions at the arsenal near Moscow
On April 22, explosions occurred at the 51st GRAU arsenal in Russia. Locals reported seeing a fireball and a column of smoke.
According to Russian sources, loud explosions were heard in the village of Barsovo in the Vladimir region. The 51st arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of the Russian Ministry of Defense is located near this village. Preliminary reports indicate that an explosion occurred, followed by a detonation.
Evacuation has already been announced in nearby settlements, and access to the village of Barsovo has been blocked.
