Early Friday, Ukraine’s military reported a successful overnight strike on a Russian airfield in the Lipetsk region, targeting and destroying ammunition warehouses. The General Staff of Ukraine confirmed that the assault hit “warehouses with guided aerial bombs and several other facilities.”
This strike coincides with a significant Ukrainian offensive into the southwestern Kursk region, involving approximately 1,000 troops along with over two dozen armored vehicles and tanks, as noted by the Russian military.
Russian state media reported a fire at the Lipetsk airbase, located about 280 kilometers (177 miles) from northeastern Ukraine’s border. Earlier, Lipetsk region Governor Igor Artamonov announced at 3:00 am local time that the regional capital had endured a “large-scale drone attack,” causing damage to a power facility.
Artamonov initially advised residents to disregard social media evacuation calls but later declared a state of emergency in the Lipetsk municipal district around 4:00 am. He issued evacuation orders for four communities on the city’s outskirts and prepared temporary shelters and transport, confirming at least six injuries from the attacks.
In response, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported downing 75 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 26 in the Belgorod region, 19 in the Lipetsk region, seven in the Kursk region, and 13 over Crimea and the surrounding Black Sea. Additionally, seven seaborne drones targeting Crimea were also destroyed.
