RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Powerful Russian bomb destroys Ukrainian ammunition depot – MOD

The Russian military has dropped one of the most powerful bombs in its arsenal on a Ukrainian ammunition depot in the southern part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the nation’s defense ministry said on Thursday as it published footage from the scene.

Moscow’s troops have struck an ammunition storage facility located in the village of Razliv, the statement said. The settlement is located some 23 kilometers to the West from Kurakhovo – a major logistics hub used by Kiev’s forces in the area. The village is also situated some 20 kilometers to the northeast from Velikaya Novoselka – a Donbass town turned into a fortress by the Ukrainian troops.

A short clip published by the Russian ministry on Telegram shows a bomb being dropped on a cluster of buildings on the outskirts of the village. A massive explosion rocks the area sending thick plumes of grey smoke into the sky.

According to the ministry, a FAB-3000 bomb was dropped on the target. The FAB-series bombs were designed to destroy an enemy’s defenses or fortifications as well as military industrial facilities. Their strong hull is capable of penetrating ceiling joists in multistory buildings while keeping the bomb relatively intact.

A FAB-3000 is one of the most powerful bomb types in the series, with just a few other models having higher destructive capacity. Weighing more than 3 tons, the bomb carries explosives equivalent to almost 1.4 tons of TNT.

This year, the Russian military started outfitting their larger bombs with the Universal Correction and Guidance Modules (UMPK). The winged upgrade kits were designed to turn older free-fall bombs into high-precision weaponry.

The UMPKs were initially used with smaller high-explosive bombs of the FAB series such as FAB-250 or FAB-500. The first FAB-3000 bombs fitted with UMPKs were employed in mid-June.

The video came as the defense ministry also confirmed the liberation of the town of Ugledar - a strategically important position located on a high round and featuring high-rise buildings overlooking the surrounding plain. Located some 40 kilometers to the southeast from Razliv, Ugledar has been an arena of fierce battles on several occasions in the past as the Russian forces sought to take control over the town.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian defence ministry confirms capture of Vuhledar in eastern Ukraine

Russia's Defence Ministry on Thursday confirmed reports that its forces had taken control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, crediting what it called decisive action taken by units in its "East" military grouping.

The town, which Russia calls Ugledar, had resisted Russian assaults for more than two years.

** Russia intercepts drone near Kursk, no damage to nuclear plant, governor says

Russian forces intercepted a Ukrainian drone on Thursday near the Russian town of Kurchatov but there was no damage to the nearby Kursk nuclear power plant, the regional governor said.

Governor Alexei Smirnov said debris from the drone caused explosions in a building unrelated to the plant.

Several Russian Telegram channels earlier reported the alleged Ukrainian attack, which they said had been thwarted by air defences but had resulted in a fire several miles from the nuclear plant.

The plant's operator, Rosenergoatom, said the facility was operating as usual and radiation levels remained within normal limits.

In a post on X, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi denied that Ukraine had fired weapons at or near the plant.

Reuters could not independently confirm the reports.

Ukrainian forces entered Kursk region in a surprise cross-border incursion on Aug. 6 and remain there even as the Russian military tries to eject them.

Rafael Grossi, head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, visited the nuclear plant on Aug. 27 and said it was especially vulnerable to a serious accident because it lacks a protective dome that could shield it from missiles, drones or artillery.