Moscow, Russia – The Russian Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a total of 249 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to a statement carried by the Russian state news agency Sputnik.

The Ministry detailed the locations of the interceptions, indicating that the majority of the drones were downed over the Black Sea and the Krasnodar region. Specifically, 116 drones were reportedly shot down over the Black Sea, and 76 over the Krasnodar Territory.

Other significant interceptions included 23 drones over the Republic of Crimea, 16 over the Rostov region, and 7 over the Bryansk region. Further drones were neutralised over the Kursk region (4), the Sea of Azov (4), the Belgorod region (2), and the Lipetsk region (1). The Ministry’s statement did not provide details on potential damage or casualties from the reported attacks.