Agents from Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) infiltrated a military compound in Ussuriysk and carried out a sabotage operation, media sources said. Russian authorities described the incident as a domestic mishap, but local residents reported a powerful blast heard for kilometers. What happened in the Russian city located roughly 6,000 kilometers from Ukraine?
Explosions in Ussuriysk struck military unit No. 19288, home to the 80th Vitebsk Red Banner Command Brigade, according to the outlet RBC-Ukraine, which cited GUR sources. The brigade took part in combat operations in Ukraine and has been accused of committing war crimes against Ukrainians, those sources said. A large contingent of law enforcement responded to the scene, which appears at odds with official statements blaming a “welding machine explosion.”
The incident unfolded on December 24 in broad daylight. Two blasts detonated in a parking area near the base, which GUR says were planted by Ukrainian agents. Police, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and firefighters all responded. Russian media also noted that nearby streets were cordoned off—despite the official explanation citing a “welding machine.” They also pointed out similar “pops” reported in Primorye on December 18.
“Documented facts include war crimes, shootings of civilians in temporarily occupied territories, including children,” GUR sources said.
Primorsky Krai Governor Oleg Kozhemyako did not mention the Ussuriysk explosion. Meanwhile, Google Maps shows the military compound sits on the city’s southwestern outskirts.
Russian social media channels carried a series of posts about what happened in Ussuriysk on December 24. Footage from the scene showed roughly a dozen vehicles from security services responding to what was officially described as a “welding machine fire.”
Local residents, however, wrote that the blasts were distinctly loud and did not sound like minor “pops.” The incident occurred early in the morning, just as the workday began, raising questions about why a “welding machine” would have been operating so early—and why “half the city” heard the explosions.
On December 22 GUR agents infiltrated a military air base in Lipetsk and set fire to two expensive Russian military aircraft; video from the moment of the arson later surfaced.
