Drones swarm Moscow, hit sanctioned Lipetsk Oblast plant
Drones heavily attacked Moscow and multiple Russian regions, including a U.S.-sanctioned Energiya plant in Lipetsk Oblast’s Yelets, injuring eight, with Russia’s Defense Ministry reporting 159 drones downed on Thursday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on May 22, air defenses intercepted 159 drones, with 54 over Oryol Oblast, 53 over Kursk Oblast, 22 over Moscow Oblast, 13 over Tula Oblast, six over Bryansk Oblast, four each over Tver and Ryazan oblasts, two over Kaluga Oblast, and one over Belgorod Oblast.
In Kursk Oblast’s Belovsky district, local governor Nikolai Volobuev was injured and hospitalized in Moscow, marking his fourth attack, according to Governor Alexander Hinshtein.
Overnight, Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports temporarily halted flights.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported nine drones targeting Moscow were downed.
In Lipetsk’s Yelets, Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed a drone-induced fire in an industrial zone injured eight.
Russian Telegram channels reported that the Energiya plant was hit.
It is the largest enterprise in Russia specializing in the production of chemical power sources. "From AA batteries to power sources for Bulava missiles and spacecraft, all this is made at the Yelets-based enterprise Energiya. The plant has been operating since 1941," local media reported earlier. It is under US and EU sanctions.
Drone debris also fell on the roof of a residential building, damaging 20 apartments there.
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