Russia – The Russian Ministry of Defence has stated its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 71 Ukrainian drones during an extensive attack overnight.

In a statement, the Ministry reported that the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were taken out over a wide range of Russian provinces, including Bryansk (29 drones), Kursk (seven), Lipetsk (five), and Smolensk (five). Further drones were reportedly destroyed over Oriol, Tver, Samara, Kaluga, Rostov, and Tula provinces, with three intercepted over Crimea and seven over the Black Sea.

Crucially, the Ministry also confirmed that seven Ukrainian drones were intercepted above the Black Sea, preventing them from reaching their intended targets. The entire large-scale operation was described as being “successfully countered” by Russian air defences.