Ukrainian army targets Russia's Lipetsk military airfield, stationing MiG-31, Su-35

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reports.

At night, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck at the Lipetsk airfield. During the attack, warehouses with guided aerial bombs and a number of other facilities near the airport were hit.

"Several sources of ignition were recorded, a large fire broke out, and multiple detonations were observed. It is known that Su-34, Su-35 and MiG-31 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are based at the Lipetsk airfield. The results of the attack are being clarified," the statement says.

In addition, Ukrainian forces struck at Russian anti-aircraft missile divisions in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region.

"In particular, combat work was carried out on three enemy radars: two from S-350 systems and one from S-300. An accurate hit and destruction of one S-350 radar was confirmed. The information on the other two targets is currently being clarified," the General Staff wrote.

At the same time, according to the military, all three Russian radars stopped working after the strikes.

The explosions in Lipetsk were first reported by the Russian state propaganda agency TASS.

According to the outlet, the city of Lipetsk, which is located about 400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, was attacked with strike UAVs. 

Locals complain of powerful explosions, and videos and photos of a massive fire are being shared online. At the same time, the authorities stated that the detonation took place far from civilian buildings.

The Russian state propaganda agency TASS, citing the local department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, confirmed the fire at the military airfield in the Lipetsk region, which was reported by Russian Telegram channels.

Evacuation of the population

The governor of Lipetsk region, Igor Artamonov, said that 416 households were evacuated.

According to the governor of the Lipetsk region, an energy infrastructure facility was damaged in the attack. 

At about 5 a.m., RIA Novosti, citing the governor, reported that a state of emergency had been declared in the Lipetsk city district.

"To ensure safety, it was decided to evacuate residents of Koptsevy Khutor, Fedorovka, Yakovlevka, Tynkovka. Temporary accommodation centers and transportation are being prepared," the statement said.