Russia’s Defense Ministry has announced the successful interception of 120 Ukrainian drones overnight in what is being described as one of the largest single-day air defence operations since the war began.
In a statement released Sunday morning, the ministry confirmed that the majority of drones were downed in regions bordering Ukraine, including 30 in Bryansk, 29 in Kursk, and 17 in Belgorod.
These areas have regularly found themselves on the frontline of Ukrainian drone incursions.
Another 18 drones were shot down over the Oryol region, which borders Kursk and has previously been the target of Ukrainian drone attacks, particularly on energy infrastructure and oil depots.
Despite the scale of the attack, the Defence Ministry reported no casualties or material damage, highlighting the effectiveness of Russia’s expanding anti-aircraft systems.
Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, briefly restricted flights overnight in major cities including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaluga, and Nizhny Novgorod as a precautionary measure. These restrictions were lifted Sunday morning after the threat was neutralized.
More than three years into the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has increasingly relied on long-range drones to hit military and logistical targets deep inside Russian territory.
These drone operations are widely seen as part of Kyiv’s strategy to stretch Russian defences and disrupt supply chains.
