Russian air defenses brought down dozens of Ukrainian drones overnight on Monday, including several targeting Moscow, according to the Defense Ministry.
A total of 59 drones were destroyed during the night and into the morning at sites across the country and over the Black Sea, according to combined ministry statements.
Several hours after the Defense Ministry updates, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that air defenses had destroyed seven more drones flying towards the capital. In a series of Telegram posts, Sobyanin said the UAVs had been downed in separate incidents and noted that emergency service specialists were working at the crash sites. He did not report any casualties or damage.
According to three ministry statements released overnight and into Monday, Ukrainian drones targeted Belgorod Region, Bryansk and Kaluga regions, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Crimea, Orlov, Kursk, Voronezh, Ryazan, Moscow and Tula regions.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have intensified long-range drone operations, striking border areas as well as residential zones and infrastructure deep inside Russia. Moscow has responded with what it is calling high-precision strikes on Ukrainian military-related facilities, maintaining that its operations are never directed at civilians.
Russia’s national air defense units regularly report intercepting dozens or even hundreds of drones in a single day, but falling debris has caused injuries, damaged property, and disrupted vital services.
Kiev has been under mounting domestic and international pressure to negotiate a settlement with Moscow. Last week, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky rejected a US proposal to consider territorial concessions in exchange for a ceasefire.
