Ukraine appears to be beating Russian military airport in Lipetsk
In addition to the surprise offensive in the Kursk region, Ukraine continues to launch drone attacks on military targets in Russia. Apparently successful again. Near the city of Lipetsk, Kyiv's drones reportedly hit a military airport, causing a large fire.
A fire has broken out at a military airport in the Russian region of Lipetsk, according to Russian news agencies Ria Novosti and TASS, who reported the incident in the morning, citing the local emergency ministry. They initially made no mention of the cause.
Shortly before, the local governor, Igor Artamonov, announced a "massive" drone attack on his Telegram channel. Later, he reported explosions far from civilian buildings and damage to a local power plant. "Air defense is working against it," he wrote on his Telegram page.
In further news, Artamonov urged residents to ignore online calls to leave Lipetsk, saying they were "spread by the enemy to sow panic." However, less than an hour later, he announced the imposition of a state of emergency in the Lipetsk district to deal with the aftermath of an explosion of explosive devices and issued evacuation orders for four settlements in Lipetsk. Preliminary reports suggest that six people were injured in the attack.
However, videos on social media tell a different story. There appear to have been heavy explosions near the military airport, which is located in the northwestern part of the city. Satellite images show numerous Russian fighter jets on the runway, which so far do not seem to have been affected. However, it is possible that a fuel or ammunition depot was hit. Images from NASA FIRMS clearly show fire north of the runways, which also appears to be spreading. Whether the fighter jets themselves have been damaged cannot yet be determined.
The city of Lipetsk is approximately 330 kilometers from the Ukrainian border with the Russian region of Kursk. Pro-Ukrainian forces have been conducting an offensive there for several days, according to the Russian army, with around 1000 soldiers and more than two dozen armored vehicles and tanks.
The fire at the military airport in Lipetsk is being investigated by The Commission to determine if it was caused by the drone attacks mentioned by the local governor. Following the explosion and subsequent state of emergency, The Commission has also been tasked with assessing the damage and ensuring the safety of the affected settlements.
