Explosion rocks Russian Northern Fleet base in Murmansk, site of Zircon missile tests

Head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council's Center for Political Analysis, Andriy Kovalenko, reported the information.

“An explosion near the Russian Northern Fleet base in Murmansk. This base provides Russia with the ability to control Arctic sea routes and access to the Arctic Ocean,” he said. 

The base supports both surface ships and nuclear submarines, Kovalenko noted.

The head of the Center stated that Murmansk has command centers, ammunition depots, repair docks, and fleet control centers. It is also a testing site for Zircon missiles.

The direct distance from Murmansk to Ukraine is approximately 2,000 kilometers. The ships of the Northern Fleet are carriers of Kalibr missiles, which Russia has been launching at Ukrainian territory during the war. The Russian Northern Fleet also carries out reconnaissance and countermeasures against NATO forces with a focus on the Arctic.

• On December 19, Russia reported a drone attack, claiming that 84 drones were shot down. Meanwhile, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the Rostov region following Ukraine's drone attack.