Three Russian oblasts came under drone attacks overnight on 15 July, with officials reporting strikes in Lipetsk, Voronezh, and Rostov oblasts.

The attacks targeted industrial facilities and urban areas, leaving multiple casualties and damage in their wake.

In Lipetsk Oblast, Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed that “a UAV fell on the territory of an industrial zone” in Yelets, where one person was injured. According to the Telegram channel ASTRA, footage shows smoke rising from an industrial zone near the Energia plant. The channel reported that “what exactly is burning is still unknown,” though this facility has been targeted by drone attacks on multiple occasions.

The Energia plant specializes in manufacturing chemical current sources, with products “widely used in various sectors, including the defense industry, civil aviation, maritime transport, and the energy complex.”

Voronezh Oblast Governor Alexander Gusev reported that air defense forces “detected and destroyed 12 unmanned aerial vehicles” over Voronezh city and three districts. 

According to the governor, about 16 people were injured in downtown Voronezh after a downed drone crashed, while “several apartments in high-rise buildings (glazing, facades and balconies), private houses in the suburbs and in one of the districts” sustained damage.

Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar claimed his oblasts’s air defenses shot down UAVs in the Verkhnedonskoye district, saying there were “no damage or casualties.”

Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced it had intercepted and destroyed 55 drones over Voronezh, Belgorod, Lipetsk, Rostov, and Kursk oblasts, as well as over the Black Sea. 

The overnight strikes represent a continuation of attacks on Russian territory that have intensified since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Ukraine has not confirmed its involvement in the attacks. However, Ukrainian officials have emphasized earlier they are conducting operations to weaken Russia’s rear military bases to reduce the aggressor’s offensive potential.

The Energia plant in Yelets previously suffered a drone attack on 3 July, which forced the facility to halt operations indefinitely. Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the strike on the plant, which produces chemical power sources for military and civilian applications.