Russia downs 102 Ukrainian drones overnight

Moscow: Russia’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 102 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, the country’s Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday via its official Telegram channel.

According to the ministry, the drones were neutralised between 9:50 p.m. Moscow time on Monday and 5:50 a.m. on Tuesday, across several regions in western and central Russia.

Forty-six unmanned vehicles were downed over Bryansk Oblast, 20 over Belgorod Oblast, nine each over Voronezh Oblast and Crimea, four each over Kaluga Oblast and the Republic of Tatarstan, three over Moscow Oblast, two each over Leningrad, Oryol, and Kursk Oblasts, and one over Smolensk Oblast, said the ministry, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ukraine’s overnight drone strikes have forced a temporary suspension of flights in all airports serving Moscow and the country’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, but caused no damage, Russian officials reported on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Russia launched a massive overnight drone and missile assault on Ukraine from Sunday night to early Monday, deploying 479 unmanned aerial vehicles in what Ukrainian officials called the largest drone attack since the war began over three years ago.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the barrage — which also included 20 missiles of various types — primarily targeted central and western regions. The attack is part of an intensifying Russian summer offensive, as peace negotiations between the two sides remain deadlocked.

Ukrainian air defence systems reportedly intercepted 277 drones and 19 missiles. Ten projectiles managed to hit their targets, injuring at least one civilian. However, these figures have not been independently verified.

The aerial bombardment coincided with renewed Russian offensives along eastern and northeastern sectors of the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line.

Earlier, on June 8, Russia reported shooting down 131 Ukrainian drones within a 24-hour period, including 73 outside of its primary air defence coverage. The Russian Defence Ministry said the drones were intercepted over several regions, including Tula, Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol, Belgorod, Kursk, and Moscow, as well as over Crimea.

Just days earlier, on June 6, Russian forces carried out another significant overnight attack on Ukraine, involving both drones and missiles. Ukrainian authorities said at least four people were killed and dozens more injured in that strike.

All four fatalities occurred in Kyiv, where an additional 20 people were wounded, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ukraine’s emergency services confirmed that three of the victims were first responders.

The National Police reported around 40 injuries nationwide, mainly in Kyiv, Lutsk in the northwest, and Ternopil in the west. They also noted that 38 facilities were damaged, including five apartment buildings and five private homes.

Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that during the June 6 attack, Russia launched 407 drones, 38 cruise missiles, and six ballistic missiles. Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down about 200 drones and around 30 missiles.

–IANS