Russia declares local emergency in region where Ukraine says it hit weapons arsenal

Russia declares local emergency in region where Ukraine says it hit weapons arsenal

Authorities declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in a western region of Russia where Ukraine said it had struck a weapons arsenal overnight.

The local branch of the Emergencies Ministry said an emergency had been declared in one district of the Bryansk region following "detonations of explosive objects".

Ukraine's military said it had struck an arsenal storing ammunition for missiles and artillery weapons, including those delivered from North Korea, as well as guided aerial bombs. Russia and North Korea have denied weapons transfers between the two countries but vowed to boost military ties.

The Bryansk emergencies ministry said the situation was under control, and made no mention of a weapons arsenal. The regional governor, Alexander Bogomaz, said on Telegram that Russian air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed 24 drones over Bryansk overnight.

The Bryansk region borders Belarus, Ukraine and Russia's Kursk region, where Moscow has been fighting to eject Ukrainian troops since August.

Last month a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Tver region, west of Moscow, triggered an earthquake-sized blast at a major weapons arsenal and forced people to flee a nearby town.