Russia faces drone attack from Ukraine as Kyiv's offensive progresses

• In the Lipetsk region of Russia, a key military airfield was hit by Ukrainian drones, marking the largest offensive on Russian soil since the start of the war.
• On Thursday night, Ukrainian forces targeted an airfield in Lipetsk, which is approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the border with Ukraine. The General Staff of Command stated in a Google-translated Telegram post that warehouses and unspecified objects in the vicinity of the airport were hit.
• In the week, thousands of people were evacuated and a state of emergency was declared in Kursk due to the Ukrainian offensive.

In the Lipetsk region of Russia, Ukrainian drones attacked a crucial military airfield, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency in another region this week due to Kyiv's ongoing cross-border offensive.

Igor Artamonov, the governor of Lipetsk, announced a state of emergency in the municipal district after a "massive" drone attack damaged an energy infrastructure facility, resulting in power supply disruptions.

According to Artamonov, there are currently 9 people on the list of victims who are receiving assistance. However, he did not provide any information about the condition of those who were injured.

CNBC could not independently verify developments on the ground.

In the past week, Kyiv has carried out its largest incursion on enemy soil since the start of Moscow's full-fledged invasion in February 2022. This is the second time a state emergency has been declared in a Russian region due to the Ukrainian offensive. The evacuation of thousands of people and the announcement of a state of emergency in Kursk were the consequences of the Ukrainian offensive earlier in the week. Ukraine did not formally acknowledge the raid.

On Friday, a Russian missile struck a supermarket in Kostiantynivka, a town in the front-line Ukrainian region of Donetsk, killing at least 10 people and injuring 35 others, as stated by Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko in a Google-translated Telegram update.

The incursion of Kyiv into Russian territory is unlikely to be an attempt to occupy Russian land, but rather a response to similar attacks by Moscow on Ukrainian soil, particularly in the Kharkiv region.

According to Sabrina Singh, the U.S. Pentagon press secretary, Ukraine's Kursk incursion is consistent with Washington's policy and allows Kyiv to use U.S.-supplied weapons for defensive purposes. Singh stated that the U.S. has supported Ukraine from the beginning to defend themselves against attacks that are coming across the border and for the need for crossfires.

She stated that they are taking actions to safeguard themselves from attacks originating from a region within the US policy where they can operate, specifically referring to our weapons, systems, and capabilities.