Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Ukraine confirmed strikes on the Energia factory in Russia's Lipetsk Oblast overnight on July 3, a facility that produces components for missiles and drones, including batteries for the Iskander missile system and cruise missiles.

The attack on the Energia plant in the city of Yelets was first reported by Lipetsk Governor Igor Artamonov. Artamonov said a fire broke out near the facility after a drone strike, and residents reported multiple explosions.

Employees in nearby workshops were evacuated. No casualties have been reported. Residents of Yelets were reporting multiple explosions, according to the Russian Telegram news channel Astra.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Counter-Disinformation Center at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, confirmed the strike, calling Energia "one of the most critical targets for Russia." According to Kovalenko, the facility manufactures batteries for missile guidance and glider modules, including for the Iskander system and cruise missiles.

Ukraine's General Staff later on July 3 released an official statement confirming the strike, saying the attack was carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces in coordination with other defense elements.

The General Staff also stated that explosions were recorded on the factory grounds and that production had been halted. "The Defense Forces continue to take measures to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian (troops) and force Russia to stop its armed aggression against Ukraine," the statement said.

The results of the fire damage are still being clarified, according to the military.

The Energia plant produces parts for ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as batteries for drones and glide bombs. The factory was previously targeted multiple times this past May.

The city of Yelets lies some 250 kilometers (150 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border.

Artamonov also claimed that drones caused damage to other areas in the region. Wreckage from an intercepted drone allegedly crashed onto a residential building, killing a woman and injuring two other people.

Explosions were also reported overnight in the Russian-occupied city of Khartsyzk in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, with Russian Telegram channels citing eyewitnesses who claim a missile may have struck a Russian ammunition depot.

Several rounds of secondary detonations followed the initial blast, according to the reports.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses shot down a total of 69 Ukrainian drones overnight. The ministry said 27 drones were intercepted over Belgorod Oblast, 22 over Voronezh Oblast, 10 over Lipetsk Oblast, eight over Kursk Oblast, and two over Russian-occupied Crimea.

Ukraine regularly strikes military targets deep within Russian territory in an effort to diminish Moscow's fighting power.

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The Kupol plant in Russia's Udmurt Republic ceased operations following a Ukrainian drone attack, independent media outlet Astra reported on June 2, citing emergency service sources.

Located more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the front line, the plant produces Tor and Osa air defense systems, as well as Harpy-type attack drones. It is under international sanctions as part of Russia's defense-industrial complex.

Two drones hit their intended targets during the strike with one flying through the windows of one workshop, and the second hitting the roof of another, causing an explosion and fire. The resulting blaze led to the collapse of 1,300 square meters of roofing, Astra reported.

Four workshops were destroyed in the first building of the complex, reportedly halting operations in areas responsible for metalworking, microchip soldering, and drone production.

Udmurt Republic Governor Alexander Brechalov said on June 1 that three people were killed and 45 injured in the attack, including 35 hospitalizations and six in serious condition.

Astra earlier reported that no air raid siren was issued in Izhevsk ahead of the attack. Residents claimed to be unable to receive emergency alerts due to persistent mobile internet outages.

Ukraine's General Staff confirmed the strike via its official Telegram channel, framing it as part of Kyiv's campaign to degrade Russia's defense-industrial base far from the front.

The plant was previously targeted in a Ukrainian drone strike on Nov. 17, 2024. That attack damaged equipment used to produce Tor missile systems and radar components.

Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurt Republic, is known as a center of Russia's arms manufacturing industry and the birthplace of the Kalashnikov rifle.

The latest attack underscores Ukraine's capacity to strike deep into Russian territory.

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U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg denied on July 1 that he agreed to "work on" halting Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia, contradicting Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's claim.

Speaking at a state event on Belarus's Independence Day, Lukashenko said he relayed Russian President Vladimir Putin's position to Kellogg during their June 21 meeting in Minsk.

According to Lukashenko, the Russian president is willing to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine if Ukrainian forces stop conducting drone strikes on Russian territory.

"I conveyed this position to the Americans," Lukashenko said on July 1. "We will work on it, said (the U.S. special envoy), in this direction."

Kellogg pushed back on the claim, writing on X that the quote was "taken out of context" and misrepresented the substance of their talks.

"At no point did I make comments related to Ukraine's prosecution of the war outside of a total ceasefire," he said. "In my conversation with Lukashenko, we discussed a full and unconditional ceasefire."

The June meeting between Kellogg and Lukashenko marked the highest-level U.S. visit to Belarus since former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's 2020 trip. Belarusian state media widely portrayed Kellogg's visit as a sign of thawing relations.

Shortly after the talks, Belarus released opposition leader and political prisoner Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who had been jailed since the 2020 presidential election.

Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994 and remains a key ally of the Kremlin. His regime has allowed Russian troops and equipment to use Belarusian territory to attack Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

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At least two civilians were killed and 33 were injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past 24 hours, according to local governors.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 114 Shahed-type and decoy drones overnight from multiple directions, as well as four S-300 missiles. Air defenses shot down 40 drones, while 39 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces shelled a hospital in Kherson city late on July 1, injuring eight people, including patients and medical staff, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Two other people were injured elsewhere in the region over the past day. Attacks damaged residential buildings, a farm, a business, and vehicles across more than 30 settlements.

In Kharkiv Oblast, four people were injured in attacks on Kharkiv city and six other communities, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Russian forces used guided aerial bombs, various drones, and artillery. Civilian infrastructure, including houses, a transport stop, an emergency medical facility, and businesses, was damaged or destroyed.

In Donetsk Oblast, two civilians were killed and 10 others injured by Russian attacks on July 1, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. In the city of Sloviansk, a mail terminal operated by Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s largest postal service, was destroyed. No employees were injured, according to an official statement.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, five people were injured, four of whom were hospitalized, after a drone strike on Nikopol, Governor Serhii Lysak said.

Russian attacks damaged a private enterprise in Kryvyi Rih and a farm in the Samar district. Fires were reported in both locations. Drone and artillery strikes also hit residential and infrastructure targets in Nikopol and Pokrovske communities.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, four civilians were injured in Russian attacks on Vasylivka and Polohy districts, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported. Over the day, Russian forces launched 376 strikes across 14 settlements, using aircraft, drones, multiple rocket launchers, and artillery.

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