Ammo stockpiles at Russia’s 51st GRAU arsenal much higher than reported — military expert

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"The ammunition depot of the Russian Ministry of Defense — the 51st GRAU arsenal, which is under the responsibility of the Moscow Military District — held a huge number of shells for the Russian army. There are 45 separate warehouses, and 30 additional storage sites for these munitions. The depot’s total capacity is over 260,000 tons. The media is reporting 105,000 tons. That number is outdated — it’s from 2009. Each strike like this forces Russia to cut back its daily use of ammunition against Ukraine’s Defense Forces," Zhmaylo said.

The expert stressed that the loss of this volume of ammunition could seriously impact Russia’s ability to use artillery on the front.

"There was a moment when the unblocking of American aid coincided with explosions at GRAU depots of the Russian Defense Ministry. The ammo use ratio dropped from 1 to 12 to 1 to 4 — not in our favor. So a hit like this on Russia’s capabilities means the Russian army will face an ammunition shortage. During the so-called 'Easter truce', Russian artillery use dropped by 70%. So if we’re again waiting for some framework documents, we need to understand: Russia isn’t holding fire at the front because it’s honoring negotiations — it’s because Ukraine’s Defense Forces took away their ability to fire," he added.

• On April 23, explosions were reported due to a fire at a military facility in Russia’s Vladimir region on April 22. Four people were injured. Residents from nearby areas are being evacuated.