A substantial arms depot in Russia was reportedly targeted by Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, resulting in a powerful explosion that registered as an earthquake. The blast prompted the evacuation of thousands from the area.

While Ukrainian officials have not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, sources within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have indicated their involvement to the Kyiv Independent and other news outlets. Reports from military bloggers and local officials suggest that Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Tver region, where the military arsenal is located.

Video footage acquired by Digital showcases a massive explosion occurring in the early hours of Wednesday. However, the precise cause of the explosions and the specific targets remain unverified.

Intense heat sources were reportedly detected emanating from a five-square-mile region, accompanied by a 2.8 magnitude earthquake that caused light tremors near the epicenter in the Tver region, situated just 55 miles from the Belarus border.

Russian state media, subject to strict Kremlin control, had not published reports regarding the explosion as of Wednesday afternoon Moscow time.

The governor of the Tver region, Igor Rudenya, confirmed a fire incident and the downing of Ukrainian drones, but did not specify the nature of the fire. 

Rudenya also acknowledged the evacuation of some residents, although reports by East2West indicated that approximately 3,000 Russians had fled the area.

Digital was unable to reach Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, GUR, for a statement.

Russian defense units claimed to have destroyed 54 drones launched across five Russian regions. Moscow did not mention any drone strikes over the Tver region, leaving the origin of Ukraine’s drone attacks unclear.

The explosions at the arms depot are said to have taken place in the town of Toropets, situated nearly 480 miles from Kursk in southwest Russia. This incident occurred last month, roughly 400 miles from Ukraine’s northernmost border with Russia.

Ukraine has escalated its offensive against Moscow in recent months by targeting sites within Russia, prompting Kyiv to appeal for U.S. and NATO allies to authorize the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles for striking military targets deep within Russian territory.

These strike bans have not been lifted, raising questions about Ukraine’s ability to target a significant military site using drones hundreds of miles into Russian territory without detection.