The Lipetsk plant specializes in the production of flat steel and produces 80% of NLMK’s steel products
Lipetsk, Russia:
On Saturday, the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sources in Kiev said Ukrainian drones struck a major Russian steel plant overnight, sparking a fire.
The governor of Russia’s Lipetsk region confirmed that the plant, which accounts for about 18% of Russia’s steel output, is located in the city of Lipetsk, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the Ukrainian border.
He said a fire apparently caused by a drone strike at a factory run by Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk (NLMK) had been extinguished and there were no casualties.
Russian media reported that a metallurgical plant in Lipetsk, Russia, was attacked by a drone last night.
The steel production produced by the plant accounts for approximately 18% of the total steel production of the Russian Federation; it is a key enterprise in the strategic industry of the Marsh Region. The enemy missile is riveted on its… pic.twitter.com/lxOWBL2Luk
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) February 24, 2024
Ukrainian sources told Reuters that the attack, a joint operation by the GUR military intelligence service and the SBU security service, caused a fire and that staff had been evacuated.
“The raw materials of this enterprise are used to manufacture Russian missiles, artillery and drones. Therefore, this is a legitimate target for Ukraine,” the source said, without specifying the location of the factory.
A video posted on social media claiming to be from Lipetsk showed an explosion and orange flames lighting up the night sky.
The NLMK said on social media that the fire broke out at 1:40 a.m. (2240 GMT on Friday). The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Lipetsk plant specializes in the production of flat steel and produces 80% of NLMK’s steel products.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military and industrial targets have become increasingly common in recent months, particularly on oil facilities that Kiev says are vital to Russia’s war effort, but Ukrainian sources have so far not claimed responsibility for a company Responsible for the attack on the steel plant.
Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone was shot down over the Lipetsk, Kursk and Tula regions at night.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
