On February 13, Lipetsk Oblast in Russia was under a massive raid by drones, according to regional governor Igor Artamonov.
Reports say that the drones allegedly targeted Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Russia’s largest steel mill, known to produce about 20% of the country’s steel output. The production facility, situated approximately 400 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border, is responsible for 80% of NLMK’s total output. The plant is a crucial asset of Russian billionaire Vladimir Lisin, the third richest Russian on Forbes’ 2023 list.
Right after the overnight attack, power outages were reported in several districts of Lipetsk. “At the moment, power engineers are reconnecting consumers,” Artamonov wrote on Telegram.
Debris from one of the drones that attacked reportedly fell on the Lipetsk aeration station, leaving an employee injured on sight. He was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.
There have also been reports of previous attacks on Novolipetsk Steel, previously targeted in February 2024.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 83 drones overnight. Among them, 37 were shot down over Bryansk Oblast, 12 each over Kursk and Lipetsk Oblasts, nine over Tver, and three in each of the Belgorod, Kaluga, Smolensk, and Voronezh Oblasts. However, the reports are yet to be verified.
Ukrainian drones targeted an oil refinery in Volgograd and a gas processing plant in Astrakhan, Russia, overnight on February 3, according to a source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), reported Kyiv Independent.