Drone Strike in Lipetsk Claims Life of Elderly Woman Amid Ukrainian Military Targeting

A 70-year-old woman lost her life and two others sustained injuries during a Ukrainian drone strike in the central Lipetsk region early Thursday morning. Officials in Kyiv stated that the strike aimed at a facility producing military batteries for Russia.

Governor Igor Artamonov of the Lipetsk region reported that the fatalities and injuries were caused by debris falling from the sky, occurring not far from the regional capital.

In the nearby city of Yelets, he mentioned that workers were evacuated from a facility after a drone collision ignited a fire in the vehicle parking area, although no injuries were reported in that incident.

Andriy Kovalenko, who leads Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, asserted that the drone strike in Yelets targeted the Energia battery manufacturing plant, which is allegedly involved in producing batteries for Russian drones and missiles, including the Iskander ballistic missile system.

The independent Telegram news channel Astra published images and videos depicting the aftermath of the attack, showcasing black smoke rising from the vicinity of what was identified as the plant.

Energia is currently facing sanctions from the U.S., EU, and other Western nations. Yelets and the Energia facility were reportedly targeted in at least three prior Ukrainian drone attacks in May.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defense systems intercepted 69 Ukrainian drones across four regions, including annexed Crimea, during the night. They noted that 10 drones were downed specifically over the Lipetsk region.