KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian drones bombed a significant military facility in a town deep inside Russia overnight, triggering a massive fire and forcing some civilians to flee, according to a Ukrainian official and Russian news sources on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a top US ambassador said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recently disclosed — but still confidential — strategy for winning the war “can work” and help end the three-year battle. Ukraine reported that the strike destroyed Russian military facilities in Toropets, a town in Russia’s Tver region some 380 kilometres (240 miles) north-west of Moscow and 500 kilometres (300 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The strike was carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service, as well as Ukraine’s Intelligence and Special Operations Forces, according to a Kyiv security officer who spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the operation. According to the official, the store housed Iskander and Tochka-U missiles, glide bombs, and artillery ammunition. He stated that the plant took fire during the strike and was burning across a 6-kilometer (4-mile) region. According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, regional authorities said that air defence systems were trying to repel a “massive drone attack” on Toropets, which has a population of roughly 11,000. The organisation additionally reported a fire and the evacuation of some local inhabitants.

According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, regional authorities said that air defence systems were trying to repel a “massive drone attack” on Toropets, which has a population of roughly 11,000. The agency reportedly reported a fire and the evacuation of several nearby households. There was no early word on whether the strikes had resulted in any casualties. Successful Ukrainian strikes on targets deep within Russia have become increasingly prevalent as the war advanced and Kyiv improved its drone capabilities. Zelenskyy is also requesting permission from Western nations for Ukraine to employ the sophisticated weapons provided to strike targets within Russia. Some Western officials have rejected that idea, afraid they may be drawn into the conflict.

Ukraine’s strategy includes targeting Russian military equipment, ammunition, and infrastructure deep inside Russia, as well as letting Russian citizens feel the effects of the war, which is being fought primarily within Ukraine.

The quick push by Ukrainian soldiers into Russia’s Kursk border region last month fits into that plan, which appears to be aimed at forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down. Putin, on the other hand, has showed no indications of giving up and has been attempting to weaken Ukraine’s resolve through attrition warfare while simultaneously eroding Western support for Kyiv by prolonging the conflict. This has come at a cost, however, since the U.K. Defence Ministry estimates that the war has killed and injured over 600,000 Russian servicemen. On Tuesday, Putin ordered the country’s military to expand its force strength by 180,000 to 1.5 million by December 1.

Zelenskyy stated last month that his plan for success involves not just battlefield victories but also diplomatic and economic gains. The plan has been kept secret, but U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield revealed during a news conference Tuesday that Washington officials have seen it. “We think it lays out a strategy and a plan that can work,” she said, adding that the US will discuss it with other world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in New York next week. She made no comment about the plan’s contents.