Smoke rising near Russian battery plant amid reported Ukrainian drone attack

Smoke was seen rising near Russia's Energia plant in the city of Yelets in Lipetsk Oblast following an alleged overnight drone attack on July 15, as Russian officials reported Ukrainian strikes across the country.

The facility reportedly manufactures batteries for missile guidance and glider modules, including for the Iskander system and cruise missiles, which Russia has been increasingly using to target Ukrainian cities.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Counter-Disinformation Center at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, has previously called Energia "one of the most critical targets" in Russia.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 55 drones overnight across multiple regions, including 32 over Belgorod Oblast, 12 over Voronezh Oblast, three over Lipetsk Oblast, one each over Rostov and Kursk Oblasts, and six over the Black Sea.

Lipetsk Oblast Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed an attack against the region, saying that a drone fell in the industrial zone of Yelets, injuring one person.

The independent Russian media outlet Astra reported that smoke was visible near the Energia factory, which has been targeted in previous drone attacks, though the exact site of the fire remains unclear.

In neighboring Voronezh Oblast, Governor Alexander Gusev said that 12 drones were intercepted overnight over Voronezh city and surrounding areas.

Debris from one of the intercepted drones fell in central Voronezh, damaging residential buildings and injuring 15 people in the city's Central and Komintern districts and one woman elsewhere in the region, the governor claimed. Two of the injured are reportedly in critical condition.

Several apartments allegedly sustained broken windows, damaged facades, and shattered balconies. Suburban homes and a district on the outskirts of the city were also reportedly damaged.

According to Astra, residents of Voronezh reported a fire breaking out in the city following the drone attack. The exact source of the fire remains unclear.

In Rostov Oblast, acting Governor Yuri Slyusar said a drone was shot down over the Verkhne-Donskoy district, with no damage or injuries reported.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the attacks.

Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian industrial and military targets deep in the rear to undermine Moscow's ability to wage its all-out war. In turn, Russian forces regularly attack Ukrainian towns and cities with drones, missiles, and bombs, inflicting civilian casualties on a daily basis.

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