Russia's Defense Ministry announced Friday that it successfully intercepted and destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones in an overnight attack targeting multiple regions across the country, including the capital Moscow.
The large-scale drone operation reportedly targeted 13 different Russian regions, with Moscow's air defenses taking down seven drones - six over the Moscow region and one over the capital city itself. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that drone defenses were activated at four locations around the capital, stating no casualties or damage occurred where drone fragments fell.
The Ryazan region, southeast of Moscow, faced the brunt of the attack with 20 drones. Local social media channels reported large fires at an oil storage facility and power station, though these claims remain unverified. Regional governor Pavel Malkov confirmed emergency crews extinguished a fire caused by drone debris that damaged a house.
Other affected areas included the border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod, Russian-annexed Crimea, and the regions of Saratov, Rostov, Voronezh, Tula, Oryol, and Lipetsk. In Kursk, where Ukrainian forces maintain control of some territory, power lines were damaged, causing electricity outages in one district.
The drone assault temporarily disrupted operations at Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, with six flights diverted to alternative locations.
In a parallel development, Ukraine reported its own defense against Russian drones, claiming to have shot down 25 of 58 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack. Ukrainian officials reported three fatalities and one injury in the Kyiv region due to falling drone debris.
The exchange marks one of the largest drone operations in recent months, highlighting the ongoing aerial dimension of the conflict between the two nations.