Fire after drone attack
Ukraine apparently succeeds in striking Russian military airport Lipetsk
09.08.2024, 07:33
In addition to the surprise offensive in the Kursk region, Ukraine continues to use drone attacks on military targets in Russia. Apparently again with success. Near the city of Lipetsk, Kiev’s drones apparently hit the grounds of a military airfield. A large fire breaks out there.
According to Russian news agencies, a fire has broken out at a military airfield in the Russian region of Lipetsk. The Russian news agencies Ria Novosti and TASS, which reported the fire in the morning citing the local Ministry of Emergency Situations, did not initially provide any information on the cause.
Shortly before, the local governor Igor Artamonov announced on the online service Telegram that there had been a “massive” drone attack in Lipetsk. He later announced that there had been explosions far away from civilian buildings and damage to a local power plant. “The air defense is working against it,” it said on his Telegram page.
In other messages, Artamonov urged residents to ignore calls on online networks to leave Lipetsk, saying they were spread “by the enemy” to “sow panic.” Less than an hour later, however, he announced that a state of emergency would be declared in the Lipetsk district to eliminate the consequences of an explosive device detonation. He also announced evacuation orders for four Lipetsk settlements. According to preliminary information, six people were injured in the attack, Artamonov said.
Videos on social media, however, tell a different story. Apparently there were heavy detonations near the military airport. This is located in the northwestern part of the city. The runway, on which satellite images show numerous Russian fighter jets, does not seem to have been affected so far. However, it is possible that a fuel or ammunition depot was hit. Images from NASA FIRMS clearly show Fire north of the runways. They also seem to have spread. It is currently not possible to say whether the fighter jets themselves were damaged.
The city of Lipetsk is located about 330 kilometers from the Ukrainian border with the Russian region of Kursk. According to the Russian army, pro-Ukrainian forces have been conducting an offensive there for several days with around 1,000 soldiers and more than two dozen armored vehicles and tanks.