Drone Strike Sparks Flames and Fear in Russian Town

Deep inside Russia, a Ukrainian drone strike ignited a massive fire at a military depot, forcing residents to evacuate and leaving at least 13 people injured. The attack, carried out by Ukraine's Security Service and Intelligence and Special Operations Forces, targeted a facility in Toropets, a town in the Tver region, about 380 kilometers northwest of Moscow. The depot, which housed Iskander and Tochka-U missiles, as well as glide bombs and artillery shells, caught fire, burning across an area 6 kilometers wide. The Ukrainian intelligence official revealed that over 100 domestically produced exploding drones were deployed in the attack. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that air defense systems were working to repel a "massive drone attack" on Toropets, which has a population of about 11,000. The strike has become a common tactic for Ukraine as it develops its drone technology. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking approval from Western nations to use the sophisticated weapons they are providing to hit targets inside Russia. Some Western leaders have balked at the idea, fearing they could be drawn into the conflict. Zelenskyy's plan for victory includes not only battlefield goals but also diplomatic and economic wins. The plan has been kept under wraps, but the U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said at a news conference that Washington officials have seen it and believe it lays out a strategy and plan that can work.