Russia Defense Ministry Says Destroyed 38 Ukrainian Drones

AFP/APP

Moscow: Russian forces reportedly destroyed 38 Ukrainian drones overnight in regions near the border, according to Moscow’s defense ministry on Tuesday.

“Air defense systems on duty destroyed and intercepted three UAVs over the Belgorod region, seven UAVs over the Kursk region, two UAVs over the Voronezh region, 21 UAVs over the Rostov region, and five UAVs over the Astrakhan region,” the ministry stated in a Telegram post.

Astrakhan governor Igor Babushkin reported that Ukraine had made a “massive attempt to attack targets with drones” in the north of the region, but this attack was “successfully repelled.”

Both sides have extensively employed drones, including larger self-detonating craft with ranges stretching hundreds of kilometers, throughout the conflict that began in February 2022.

This year, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian territory, targeting energy sites that it claims fuel Russia’s military, as well as towns and villages near the border.

In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a major new land offensive in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. This operation aims to establish a buffer zone and push Ukrainian forces back to safeguard Russia’s Belgorod region from shelling.