WATCH Over 30 Ukrainian howitzers destroyed in single strike

A Russian missile appears to have hit a Ukrainian depot, obliterating more than two dozen artillery pieces in one hit, drone footage which emerged online on Tuesday shows.

Surveillance drone footage circulating online shows some 32 Soviet-era D-20 howitzers, stockpiled in the open in a tight formation.

While it was not immediately clear when the strike was carried out, it apparently targeted a military facility near the Ukrainian city of Akhtyrka in Sumy Region, which borders Russia.

The strike appears to have obliterated and blown away most of the howitzers, with only a few left standing. The explosion also left a nearby hangar badly damaged, the video shows.

It was not immediately clear whether the howitzers were operational before the strike, given that they were left in a large group and open to the elements. However, even dilapidated artillery pieces can be a valuable military asset, serving as parts donors for their operational counterparts or as decoys on the frontline.