Ukraine expanded its cross-border attack range on Thursday evening, targeting the Russian Lipetsk region. The governor of the region described it as a “large-scale” drone attack, resulting in nine injuries. Russian authorities evacuated residents from multiple areas and declared a state of emergency.
According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff on the messaging platform Telegram, Ukrainian forces launched an attack on an airbase in the Russian Lipetsk region on Thursday night, hitting warehouses and unspecified objects near the airport. The airport is approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
The Ukrainian military added that Russian Su-34 and MiG-31 fighter jets are based at this airfield in Lipetsk.
Governor Igor Artamonov of Lipetsk region wrote on Telegram on Friday that it was a “large-scale” drone attack, causing damage to an energy infrastructure, at least nine injuries, power outages, temporary evacuation of residents in several areas, and the subsequent declaration of a state of emergency.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, it is the second time a region in Russia has declared a state of emergency due to war. Earlier this week, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale cross-border attack on the Russian Kursk region, leading to the evacuation of thousands of people and the declaration of a state of emergency. However, Ukraine has not officially acknowledged carrying out this attack.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Friday that Ukraine continues to launch cross-border attacks, with 75 drones intercepted and destroyed overnight in Russian airspace, mostly over Belgorod and Lipetsk regions.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue advancing their operations. On Friday, a Russian missile struck a supermarket in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko mentioned on Telegram that the attack resulted in at least 10 deaths and 35 injuries.
The war has been ongoing for over two years, with occasional cross-border attacks initiated by pro-Ukrainian groups made up of Russians. Ukraine has also conducted airstrikes on the border regions of the Belgorod region in Russia multiple times. This week’s cross-border attacks signify the first instances of Ukrainian regular forces and special operations units entering Russian territory.
According to U.S. and Ukrainian officials, Ukraine’s actions aim to divert the Russian military’s offensive away from the eastern Ukrainian frontlines and to undermine and weaken the morale of the Russian armed forces, rather than aiming for long-term occupation of Russian territory.