Almost 150 Ukrainian drones downed overnight over Russia
Russia's air defenses have destroyed 147 incoming Ukrainian drones overnight, including several targeting Moscow, the country's Defense Ministry has said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the intercepts occurred across several areas, including Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Voronezh, Tver, Lipetsk, Oryol, Tambov, Tula, and Moscow regions.
In total, 198 drones were intercepted between 8:00pm on Monday and 7:00am on Tuesday, according to the ministry. Officials have not provided any data on the damage or casualties incurred due to the raids.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed that the Russian capital was targeted by two drones, both of which were downed before reaching their destinations. He added that emergency services are working at the sites where the drone debris fell.
The drone raids led to temporary suspensions at several major airports, including key Moscow hubs. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said flights at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, Sheremetyevo, Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, and Tambov airports were suspended for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, officials in Kursk Region, which borders Ukraine, said that a total of 21 incoming drones had been shot down.
On Tuesday, Rodion Miroshnik, Russia's ambassador-at-large, reported that nearly 70 civilians, including 14 children, had been victimized by Kiev's FPV drone strikes over the past week. 'The armed formations of Ukraine deliberately and intentionally directed drones at civilians and civilian objects,' he told TASS.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has significantly ramped up drone strikes targeting Russia. Moscow has accused Kiev of attempting 'terrorist' attacks on the country's railway infrastructure, which have led to civilian fatalities. According to the Kremlin, the indiscriminate raids are intended to derail direct bilateral talks.
Last week, President Vladimir Putin stated that Russian forces had shot down more than 80,000 aerial targets, most of which are drones, since the escalation of the conflict in 2022.
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