Ukrainian Forces Claim Destruction of Russian Thermobaric Weapons Depot
In a significant military development, Ukraine has asserted that it successfully targeted and destroyed a thermobaric weapons ammunition depot located in the Russian-occupied territories during the night. This operation was accompanied by dramatic footage showcasing massive explosions that engulfed the facility.
According to reports, the Ukrainian armed forces executed the strike on the munitions storage facility situated in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk, an area that has seen intense and prolonged combat between Russian and Ukrainian troops in a grueling war of attrition. The General Staff of Ukraine shared a video on Telegram on Friday that purportedly depicts the strike close to the town of Selydove, approximately 12 miles from Pokrovsk, a strategically vital location in the ongoing conflict.
The video captures an initial explosion, which is soon followed by a series of significantly larger blasts, suggesting the detonation of munitions stored on-site. The General Staff of Ukraine confirmed that during the early hours of February 28, “the Defence Forces of Ukraine destroyed a storage warehouse for thermobaric ammunition belonging to the Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region, specifically in the Selydove district.”
In addition to this operation, Ukraine claimed to have struck three other military facilities within Russia, including the Ilsky Oil Refinery located in Krasnodar, southern Russia. This refinery is reportedly involved in supplying the Russian military forces.
Thermobaric weapons—often referred to as fuel-air explosives or vacuum bombs—have been utilized by Russia since the onset of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These weapons are typically filled with aerosolized solid fuel, which, upon detonation, creates a vacuum effect that rapidly consumes oxygen from the surrounding air. This results in the formation of a massive fireball, producing an exceptionally powerful blast wave.
The destructive capabilities of such weapons are profound: they can obliterate buildings, cause catastrophic injuries to human organs, and even vaporize individuals caught in the blast radius. Ukraine’s General Staff noted that the outcomes of the strikes on Russian military facilities are still being assessed, and it is important to mention that these claims have not been independently verified.
In a related development, Ukrainian soldiers from a drone unit have been preparing drones to launch attacks against enemy positions in the direction of Pokrovsk. This marks a continuation of Ukraine’s intensified offensive strategy, which has seen an uptick in attacks on Russian military installations, including weapons factories, storage sites, and energy infrastructure. The use of long-range drones to target Russian refineries has become a notable aspect of Ukraine’s military approach.
The attack on February 28 marks the second strike on the Ilsky Oil Refinery this month, following an earlier attack on February 17, which resulted in a significant fire.
Situation on the Ground in Eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, in the eastern regions of Ukraine, Russian forces have been making incremental yet steady advances, capturing several villages near Pokrovsk, a strategic objective they have been pursuing for nearly a year. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, based in Washington, D.C., stated: “The year-long Russian effort to seize Pokrovsk has so far failed, and Russian forces appear to have abandoned an attempt to take the city directly. Instead, they seem to favor a broader envelopment strategy.”
However, the Kremlin may have even set aside this approach for the time being, facing increasing Ukrainian resistance in the area alongside extremely high casualties among Russian troops.
