Following drone attacks launched from Ukraine, fires erupted at energy facilities in Russia’s Smolensk region, while parts of Lipetsk in the southwest were evacuated after a drone incident in an industrial park, as confirmed by regional officials.
Vasily Anokhin, the governor of Smolensk region, expressed on the Telegram messaging app that the region faced yet another assault by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Anokhin reported fires breaking out in the Smolensk and Yartsevo districts due to the attack on civilian fuel and energy facilities.
The specific facilities affected by the fires were not immediately disclosed, although the Smolensk region does not host major oil refineries.
Meanwhile, Igor Artamonov, governor of Lipetsk region, shared on Telegram that a drone had landed in an industrial zone, prompting the evacuation of nearby residents as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and Artamonov reassured that the incident did not pose a threat to residential areas.
Although Artamonov did not specify the extent of damage or the target of the drone, precautions were taken to ensure safety, with warning systems in the city remaining inactive and evacuation limited to the area where the UAV landed.
As of now, independent verification of these reports by Reuters is pending, and there has been no immediate response from Ukraine. While Kyiv seldom comments on attacks within Russia, Ukrainian officials have previously indicated that targeting critical infrastructure, including energy, military, and transport facilities, serves to undermine Moscow’s war efforts.
