Russia Claims It Downed Over 150 Ukrainian Drones in Major Attack

In one of the most significant drone offensives of the ongoing conflict, Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted and destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday. The drones targeted various regions, including Moscow, with two intercepted over the capital city and nine in the surrounding areas.

The largest concentration of drones was intercepted over the Kursk region, where Ukraine has recently intensified its military incursions, marking the most significant incursion on Russian soil since World War II. Russian authorities reported that 46 drones were downed in Kursk, while 34 were intercepted in the Bryansk region, 28 in Voronezh, and 14 in Belgorod, all of which are near the Ukrainian border.

The drone strikes extended deeper into Russian territory, with one drone each being intercepted in the Tver and Ivanovo regions, both located near Moscow. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that drones were shot down across 15 regions, with additional reports of another drone being downed in a different area.

In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that debris from one of the downed drones caused a fire at an oil refinery, highlighting the reach of the Ukrainian drone campaign deep into Russian territory. Since the start of the year, Ukraine has escalated its drone strikes, targeting critical infrastructure such as refineries and oil terminals to hamper the Kremlin’s military operations.

The ongoing conflict also saw casualties in the Russian border region of Belgorod, where Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that 11 people were injured in Ukrainian aerial missile attacks, including eight in the regional capital.

Meanwhile, on the front lines in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the capture of the towns of Pivnichne and Vyimka in the Donetsk region. This claim, which could not be independently verified by the Associated Press, reflects Russia’s continued push deeper into the eastern part of Ukraine, a key area in the Kremlin’s broader military strategy.

Russian forces are reportedly closing in on Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub for Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk region. The conflict also claimed more lives on Sunday, with Russian shelling in Kurakhove, located south of Pokrovsk, killing at least three people and wounding nine others, according to Donetsk regional Governor Vadym Filashkin.

In a separate incident in Kharkiv, 44 people were wounded when the city, including a shopping center, a sports facility, and residential buildings, was hit by 10 missiles, as reported by Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Ukrainian air defense systems managed to shoot down eight out of 11 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks.

Additionally, one person was killed and four were injured in shelling in the Sumy region, with further reports from Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov indicating that five others were wounded in that region. The ongoing exchanges highlight the relentless and widespread nature of the conflict as both sides continue to engage in fierce combat.