Ukraine reportedly hits Energija plant in Yelets, Russia; governor reports casualties

The strike on the Energija plant

Ukrainian forces reportedly attacked the Energija factory in Yelets, Lipetsk region, on the afternoon of Sunday, 25 October. Exilenova, a monitoring outlet, said Storm Shadow cruise missiles hit the plant and caused 'extensive destruction' to one production building. Exilenova+ counted at least two hits on two buildings, and a video shows an explosion at a location that cannot be identified. Astra's open-source analysis, cited by DW, places the plant in the Yelets industrial zone and says it makes power cells for Russian drones, missile systems and other weapons. Neither the Ukrainian General Staff nor the Russian Defence Ministry had commented on the strike.

Casualties in the Russian accounts

Interfax, citing Governor Igor Artamanow, reported at least one dead and six injured after the attack on Yelets' industrial zone. The state agency Tass mentioned only damage to cars and buildings caused by falling missile debris. In a Telegram post cited by DW, the governor described a security staff member who was killed and a woman paramedic from a medical point who was wounded in the thigh and taken to hospital. He said the remaining workers were evacuated to a safe place, but he did not name the enterprise or give the extent of the damage. The two accounts therefore give different injury counts.

Repeated attacks and the plant's role

DW counts this as the sixth attack on the enterprise. Ukrainian coverage recalls a May 2025 strike that set fire to one workshop and injured nine workers, and says another attack on the facility was reported in January 2026. DW describes Energija as Russia's largest company specialising in chemical power sources, founded in 1941, which makes batteries for drones, power units for air-defence missile systems and batteries for aviation and naval equipment. German-language reports say the factory makes components for Iskander missiles, a Russian system that fires short-range ballistic missiles as well as cruise missiles. Sanctions apply from Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Japan and Australia. Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, cited by DW, says the plant supplies power elements for several Russian missile types.

Air defence and US warnings

Russia has been attacking Ukrainian population centres with missiles and cruise missiles for more than four and a half years, exploiting a shortage of ammunition for Ukraine's air defence. President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Ukrainian broadcaster TSN that US warnings of incoming Russian ballistic missile attacks are again being passed on in full, after recent problems. The warnings are described as crucial for Ukraine's air defence. In the same interview, Zelensky said SpaceX's Starshield satellite internet works again, including at speeds of up to 420 kilometres per hour, after its connection was restricted a few days earlier.

The live blog also carries headlines on Russian reports of attacks on cargo ships and logistics centres, and on Elon Musk accusing Ukraine of breaching Starlink terms of use.