Russia’s Air Defences Destroy 125 Ukrainian Drones Overnight

In a swift response to what Ukraine calls retaliatory strikes, Russia’s air defence systems downed 125 Ukrainian drones over its territory overnight. The defence ministry announced the feat on Sunday, with regional governors reporting some damage but no casualties from the attack.

According to the ministry, 67 drones were destroyed over the Volgograd region in southern Russia, where governor Andrey Bocharov reported falling debris sparking grass fires without causing any harm. Seventeen drones were downed over the Belgorod region, and another 17 over the Voronezh region, where governor Aleksandr Gusev said several drones fell on the city and its suburbs, causing fires in two residential buildings but no casualties.

In the Rostov region, governor Vasily Golubev reported that 18 drones were destroyed, with no casualties or damage on the ground. Single drones were also intercepted over the Bryansk and Kursk regions, as well as Krasnodar, which neighbours Crimea, and three over the waters of the Sea of Azov.

This is not an isolated incident, as Russia has recently announced shooting down Ukrainian drones almost daily in response to what Kyiv says are retaliatory strikes for Russian attacks during its offensive launched in February 2022.