According to local residents, a series of powerful explosions occurred in the arsenal area in the village of Barsovo in the Vladimir region. People report rumblings, explosions, a blast wave, blown-out windows, and “rockets whistling in different directions.” The highway to Kirzhach was blocked from Moscow. Ambulances have been spotted in the city, and an emergency mode has been introduced in the area. The evacuation of the settlements closest to the detonation site is underway. An exploded ammunition depot can contain up to 270 thousand tons of shells. The mushroom from the explosion is visible 50 km from the military unit, in the Moscow region.
The authorities have evacuated a military unit in the Vladimir region, where an ammunition depot is detonating. Meanwhile, the number of victims of the shells has increased to 4, said Governor Avdeev.
“The headquarters decided to evacuate the military unit, seven settlements and 12 summer cottages. About 450 people were evacuated to temporary accommodation facilities. People are provided with everything they need. Most of them will spend the night in a temporary shelter, but some are already being taken in by their relatives,” he said.
The local Ministry of Emergency Situations asks residents not to approach the emergency zone, and the governor of the Vladimir region, Alexander Avdeev, threatened with fines those who spread information about the explosions in Barsovo — with the wording “for security purposes”.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation had previously stated that the cause of the explosions on the territory of a military unit in the Vladimir region was a violation of safety regulations.
The 51st arsenal of the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (military unit No. 55443) is located in the village of Barsovo in the Vladimir region. A large ammunition depot, covering about 3.5 square kilometers, was once again featured in news reports.
According to open data, not only the 51st arsenal is located near Barsovo and neighboring Pershino, but also other military facilities, in particular, the 73rd GRAU arsenal near the village of Esino.
According to OSINT analysts, up to 105,000 tons of ammunition can be stored in warehouse, from artillery shells to components of air defense systems and tactical missiles. Z-military commander Kotz writes about 270 thousand tons of ammunition, “including shells, anti-aircraft guided missiles of various types and other weapons.”
This is not the first incident in Barsovo. In the fall of 2024, an evacuation was already carried out there, and in 2022, three conscripts and the warehouse manager died on the territory of the unit after an explosion of ammunition. In the summer of the same year, sabotage was reported — unknown persons disconnected the rails at the entrance to the warehouse. The responsibility was claimed by activists of the anti-war movement, who oppose the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
