The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday that it had thwarted a massive Ukrainian drone attack, claiming that its air defense systems shot down 145 fixed-wing drones overnight. According to the ministry, several of these drones were targeting the Moscow region.
The incident took place between 11 p.m. (2000 GMT) Sunday and 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) Monday. Russian forces intercepted 53 drones over the Moscow region, 46 of which were heading towards the capital. In addition, 38 drones were shot down over the border region of Bryansk.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defense forces had destroyed approximately 250 Ukrainian drones approaching the city and a second line of defense over the past two days. He thanked the Russian armed forces for their work. Moscow and its surrounding region have a population of about 22 million.
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency indicated that flight restrictions were repeatedly introduced and lifted at several Moscow airports during this period. These measures caused air traffic disruptions.
Ukraine has not immediately commented on this information. The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the effectiveness of relatively inexpensive drones to attack distant targets, ranging from oil infrastructure to major population centers.
