Explosions, fires reported amid overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Lipetsk, Russia
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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukrainian forces struck the Russian city of Lipetsk in an overnight drone attack on Oct. 22, according to monitoring channels.
Ukrainian drones struck a multi-story building in Lipetsk and caused multiple explosions around the city, according to Ukrainian monitoring channel ExileNova+.
Eyewitness footage from the scene appears to show low-flying Ukrainian drones above Lipetsk and fires lighting up the night sky.
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the targets and extent of the damage of the attacks at the time of publication.
Lipetsk, 335 kilometers (208 miles) east of the Ukrainian border, has a population of around 500,000 and is home to the Novolipetsk Steel Plant. The massive plant accounts for roughly 20% of Russia's total crude steel output and is the nation's largest steel plant.
The attack damaged the windows and facades of multiple residential buildings around the city, according to Lipetsk Regional Governor Igor Artamonov. A clinic, closed at the time, was also damaged, Artamonov said.
Ukrainian forces have previously targeted Lipetsk in similar drone attacks.
On July 21, Ukrainian drones hit the Novolipetsk Steel Plant and Lipetsk CHPP-2, a combined heat and power plant, causing fires.
As Moscow intensifies air attacks against Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure, Kyiv has responded by targeting key facilities across Russia supplying its armed forces.
On Oct. 16, Ukrainian forces struck an oil terminal, a data center, and a bridge in a large-scale overnight attack on St. Petersburg. Ukrainian drones have also disrupted air traffic in and out of Moscow in multiple operations in October.
