A series of serious incidents have occurred in the Russian city of Yelets, triggering widespread resonance in local and international media
Reports from the region indicate that in the night of April 24, several unidentified actions took place, involving drone attacks and large-scale fires in the city’s industrial zone. The information has been confirmed by official sources, including Lipetsk region governor Igor Artyomov, as well as local residents who actively discuss the incident on social media. According to the Russian service of BBC, citing sources within Russian authorities, the attack was carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles—probably Ukrainian drones that flew towards the Russian city of Yelets. Governor Artyomov confirmed that a fire was recorded in the city’s industrial zone following drone flights. He stated that emergency services are already working at the scene, citizens are being evacuated, and circumstances of the incident are being established. Local residents on social media report seeing several "hits" from drones: they, according to them, dropped explosive charges or encountered obstacles, resulting in fires. Specifically, this concerns the "Energia" plant, which produces batteries and accumulators and supplies products to the Russian Ministry of Defense. This plant has previously been identified in open sources as a facility important for military needs. The manufacturer of battery spare parts states on its official page that it supplies to Russian military structures, specifically to the Ministry of Defense. Therefore, any damage to it could have serious consequences for the defense sector. In his statement, Governor Artyomov mentioned that drone fragments fell in the city’s industrial zone, causing a large fire. According to the official, firefighting and medical services are already on site, and access to the affected sites has been complicated by a large-scale evacuation. Moreover, he noted that security service reports suggest possible casualties: there are reports of injured individuals following drone falls in the industrial districts of the city. Information about the attack and fire is already actively discussed in local communities and media, and the situation around Yelets is causing concern among residents, who fear further attacks and escalating tensions in the region. Russian authorities continue to assert that the actions were carried out by Ukrainian forces and confirm that they are working to eliminate the consequences of the incident. Meanwhile, experts and analysts note increasing activity in the region and warn of possible escalation in military actions, as the situation around Russia’s borders is rapidly worsening. Residents of Yelets and surrounding areas remain in tense anticipation of new attacks. Local authorities are urging maximum caution and promise to take all necessary measures to stabilize the situation and ensure citizen safety.