Russia fends off major Ukrainian drone raid – MOD
A total of 144 drones have been destroyed or intercepted during a large-scale Ukrainian attack on Russian territory overnight, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
Incoming plane-type UAVs were shot down over nine Russian regions, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
“During an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using unmanned aerial vehicles,” Russian air defenses eliminated 72 drones above Bryansk Region, 20 above Moscow Region, 14 above Kursk Region, and 13 above Tula Region, the ministry stated.
Elsewhere, eight drones were destroyed in Belgorod Region, seven in Kaluga Region, five in Voronezh Region, four in Lipetsk Region and one in Orel Region, it added.
In the city of Ramenskoye outside Moscow, at least two apartment blocks were hit during the Ukrainian raid, according to the regional governor, Andrey Vorobyev.
A 46-year-old woman was killed and three other people were injured, Vorobyev wrote on Telegram. A fire broke out in one of the buildings, but it was swiftly extinguished, he added.
Bryansk Region Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz wrote on Telegram that “thanks to the professionalism of our valiant defenders, there were no casualties or destruction, all attacks were repelled, all targets were destroyed.”
Air defenses were working all night in Kursk Region, local governor Aleksandr Bogomaz said. He also warned the public against approaching the debris of the UAVs, as it could be dangerous.
Kiev has intensified its drone incursions into Russia since January, mainly targeting energy infrastructure, but also hitting residential areas. Moscow has responded by adding Ukrainian power plants to its list of legitimate military targets. Most of Ukraine’s non-nuclear generation capacity has been disabled or destroyed by Russian strikes since then.
A major Ukrainian UAV attack on Russian territory took place on September 1 and saw as many as 158 drones shot down or intercepted above more than a dozen Russian regions, according the Defense Ministry. There were also several major raids in August.
