The Energia defence plant, one of the leading developers and manufacturers of chemical current sources and batteries in Russia, is on fire after a drone attack in the Lipetsk Region’s Elets, Russian media reported.
Telegram channel Astra analysed video of eyewitnesses to the fire and found that it was the Energia plant that was on fire.
Igor Artamonov, the governor of Russia’s Lipetsk region, said that “firefighters have localised” the fire in the industrial zone of Yeltsa after the UAV crash. He did not specify exactly where the fire was.
The Russian Defence Ministry said Russian forces allegedly shot down 41 Ukrainian drones late last night, including four over the Lipetsk region.
This is not the first strike on this plant. The previous one was reported in July, and before that in May. The AFU General Staff, confirming the strike in May, said that Energia is one of Russia’s largest producers of chemical current sources, which is the only manufacturer of batteries for the planning and correction modules mounted on aerial bombs. In addition, the plant, according to the Ukrainian military, provides production of batteries for Iskander-M missile defence systems, sea-based cruise missiles and a number of universal batteries used in power supply systems for special equipment.
“Stopping the work of PJSC Energia may leave some of the military equipment and means of defeat of the Russian occupants without critical power elements,” the AFU command said.
The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the current strike.