Ukrainian drones struck a major Russian steel factory overnight, causing a huge fire, a Kiev source said on Saturday, marking the second year of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The governor of Russia’s Lipetsk region identified the factory in the city of Lipetsk, about 400 km north of the Ukrainian border, which is responsible for about 18 percent of Russia’s steel production.
He said a fire apparently caused by a drone attack had been put out at the plant, run by Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk (NLMK), and that there were no casualties.
“There is no significant impact on plant operations,” he added Saturday evening.
The Ukrainian source told Reuters that the attack, a joint operation by GUR military intelligence and the SBU security service, caused a large fire and the team was evacuated.
“The raw materials of this company are used to produce Russian missiles, artillery and drones. Therefore, it is a legitimate target for Ukraine,” the source said, without specifying the location of the factory.
A video posted on social media, said to be from Lipetsk, showed an explosion, with orange flames lighting up the night sky.
Production at the factory was suspended while an investigation team worked on site, a source familiar with the matter said. Visible damage was not significant, the source added.
The Lipetsk plant specializes in flat steel and produces 80% of NLMK’s steel products.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military and industrial targets have become increasingly common in recent months, mainly hitting oil installations that Kiev deems vital to the Russian war effort, but Ukrainian sources have not previously claimed responsibility for an attack on a steel mill .
Russian authorities said Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over the Lipetsk, Kursk and Tula regions.
Source: Terra
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