Russia’s Lipetsk region is facing a significant drone attack, according to regional governor Igor Artamonov. He reported early Friday on Telegram that the area had been hit by a large-scale UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assault. The attack resulted in explosions away from residential areas and damage to a local power facility, with at least six people injured.
Soon after, Russian state news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS reported a fire at a military airfield near Lipetsk, a city with a population of around half a million. Lipetsk, located about 460 kilometers (286 miles) south of Moscow and 300 kilometers (190 miles) from Ukraine’s eastern border, has seen four villages evacuated following the declaration of a local state of emergency.
Artamonov refuted social media claims that the entire city was being evacuated, labeling such reports as “psychological warfare” by Ukraine. There has been no official response from Kyiv regarding the Lipetsk situation.
This escalation follows Russia’s reports of intense fighting in the Kursk region, where 1,000 Ukrainian troops, supported by tanks and armored vehicles, launched a cross-border raid on August 6.