In the early hours of 3 July, Ukrainian drones targeted multiple sites across four Russian oblasts and occupied Crimea, including a confirmed strike on the Energiya defense battery factory in Yelets and an attempt to strike the military airfield in Lipetsk. Local officials and eyewitness footage confirm explosions and fires, while Moscow claims to have downed 69 UAVs in total.
Drone strike hits defense battery manufacturer in Yelets
According to eyewitness footage published news Telegram channels, Ukrainian drones hit the Energiya plant in Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast. The factory is the largest producer of sealed lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and lithium-ion batteries for Russia’s military, including systems ranging from UAVs to intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Russian Telegram channel Astra reports that a drone struck the factory’s parking area, igniting several vehicles and damaging nearby infrastructure. Explosions and heavy smoke were seen in the area. The Lipetsk Oblast Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed a drone fell near an enterprise parking lot, causing a fire and triggering the evacuation of nearby plant workers. Footage of this fire also shows that windows were shattered in the nearby building of the plant.
One of the clips, featuring the black smoke rising from the parking lot, captured an additional strike on the plant.
Drones target Russia's military-grade batteries maker and airbase
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 3, 2025
Energiya factory in Yelets was last hit in May. In Lipetsk, drones seem to have been intercepted before reaching the airfield.https://t.co/q8IyqvZFCL
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Airfield in Lipetsk targeted
Local authorities did not provide specifics on the airfield impact, but explosions were reported in Lipetsk city and across the oblast.
Artamonov claimed that drone fragments allegedly hit a detached house, killing one civilian and injuring two more. Another UAV ostensibly hit a section of an under-construction apartment building in Yelets.
Videos show Russian ammo stockpile spectacularly destroyed in occupied Donetsk Oblast’s Khartsyzk
Voronezh Oblast also targeted
Voronezh Oblast Governor Alexander Gusev stated via Telegram that drone fragments damaged the roofs of two detached houses in Voronezh. The strike also knocked down a power line, leaving a local village without electricity.
Russia claims mass drone interception
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated in the morning that air defense systems allegedly shot down 69 Ukrainian drones: 27 over Belgorod Oblast, 22 over Voronezh, 10 over Lipetsk, 8 over Kursk, and 2 over occupied Crimea.
Despite the scale of the incident, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov and acting Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein made no public comment on the attacks.
Flight restrictions and fire in Tambov
Astra reported that Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency temporarily restricted flights at airports in Tambov, and Samara amid the drone threat.
Separately, acting Tambov Oblast Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov reported a fire at an unspecified enterprise in the city of Kotovsk overnight on 3 July. He said the blaze, believed to have been caused by a technological malfunction, killed three employees and injured three others.
Kotovsk hosts several industrial plants, including facilities for plastics, equipment, and a gunpowder factory.
Pervyshov did not connect the incident to any drone activity.