Ukraine's Neptune destroys Russian ammo depot near Rostov-on-Don: strike details

Using a "Neptune" missile, the Ukrainian Navy, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), successfully destroyed a storage facility housing ammunition and reconnaissance drones in the suburbs of Rostov-on-Don, specifically in the village of Chaltyr. The distance from the front line to the target was approximately 170 km.

The attack, carried out during the night of January 10, utilized a tactic of overwhelming Russian air defenses. SBU operatives deployed drones to overload Russia's air defense systems, creating a gap that allowed the "Neptune" missile to strike. 

Details about the strike

According to Defense Express, the targeted facility was likely the private enterprise "Plastfactor," located in Chaltyr (sometimes referred to as the village of Krym, adjacent to Chaltyr). While "Plastfactor" specializes in PVC flooring production, the facility's proximity to a transportation company is notable.

The Russian military is known to utilize civilian trucks for transporting ammunition, a practice documented since 2022 and scaled up significantly by 2024, as reported by Ukrainian partisans from the "ATESH" movement. It is likely that weapons and ammunition were being stored on the premises of this transportation company, the outlet notes.

The placement of military supplies within civilian areas is not a new tactic for Russia. On September 9, 2024, another Ukrainian "Neptune" missile destroyed nearly 400 Shahed drones stored at a depot in the village of Oktyabrskoe, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.

This latest successful missile strike underscores the ongoing inability of Russian forces to adequately protect key military facilities, even in areas close to major cities like Rostov-on-Don. The attack highlights Ukraine's continued capability to penetrate deep into Russian territory and neutralize strategically significant targets, the outlet concludes.