A airbase outside the town of Lipetsk was on fire on Friday morning after authorities reported a “massive attack.”
Regional Governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram that four villages were being evacuated after declaring a state of emergency. Lipetsk city is around 330 kilometers (210 miles) from the border.
The governor first rejected calls on social media for people to leave the area, saying they were “spread by the enemy in order to sow panic.”
However, he quickly changed course, issuing evacuation orders for the four villages on the outskirts of Lipetsk city.
“To eliminate the consequences of the detonation of explosive objects, a state of emergency is introduced in Lipetsk municipal district,” he said. “Temporary accommodation points and transport are being prepared.”
Artamonov later said that the threat level had been lifted, but that at least six people had been killed according to preliminary reports and that explosions had damaged power facilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that 75 Ukrainian drones, across various regions including Lipetsk, had been shot down overnight. It was not immediately clear how many drones got through.
Friday’s strike comes as Ukrainian forces continue their offensive , albeit without direct acknowledgment from Kyiv.
mk/ab (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)
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