Russian air defence systems intercepted 1,198 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight in an attack spanning 18 Russian regions, the Russian Defence Ministry has said.
The scale of the operation makes it one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks recorded against Russia this year, according to TASS calculations based on figures released by the ministry.
The drones were intercepted over the Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Saratov, Smolensk, Tver and Tula regions.
Air defence systems also reported interceptions over the Moscow Region, the Republic of Crimea and the waters of the Black Sea.
October Attack Recorded 1,214 Ukrainian Drones
The latest reported operation follows another large-scale drone attack overnight into October 29, when Russian air defences said they destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.
That incident remains among the largest drone attacks recorded against Russia this year.
Another major operation took place overnight into October 18, when Russian air defence systems reported intercepting 1,015 Ukrainian drones.
September Attack Remains Russia’s Largest Recorded
The largest Ukrainian drone attack cited in the report occurred on September 20, the final day of voting in elections to Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
Russian air defences said they intercepted and destroyed 1,951 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and eight missiles during that attack.
The overnight interception of 1,198 drones is therefore among the biggest reported operations against Russia this year, although it falls below the figures recorded in the September and October 29 incidents.
