Almost 160 Ukrainian drones downed overnight, says Russia
1 September 2024, 15:04
The military said two were intercepted over Moscow.
Russia has said its air defences intercepted and destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two over Moscow and nine over the surrounding region.
Forty-six were over the Kursk region, where Ukraine has sent its forces in recent weeks in the largest incursion on to Russian soil since the Second World War.
A further 34 were over the Bryansk region, 28 over the Voronezh region, and 14 over the Belgorod region – all of which border Ukraine.
Drones were also shot down deeper into Russia, including one each in the Tver region, north-west of Moscow, and Ivanovo, north-east of Moscow.
The defence ministry said drones were intercepted over 15 regions into Sunday, while one other governor said a drone was shot down over his region too.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said falling debris from one of the two drones shot down over the city caused a fire at an oil refinery.
Ukrainian drone strikes have brought the fight far from the front line into the heart of Russia. Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has stepped up aerial assaults on Russian soil, targeting refineries and oil terminals to slow down the Kremlin’s assault.
Also in Russia, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said nine people were injured in Ukrainian aerial missile attacks in the border region of Belgorod. These included eight in the regional capital, also called Belgorod.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday it had taken control of the towns of Pivnichne and Vyimka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Russian forces have been driving deeper into the partly occupied eastern region, the total capture of which is one of the Kremlin’s primary ambitions. Russia’s army is closing in on Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub for the Ukrainian defence in the area.
In Ukraine overnight, eight drones were shot down out of 11 launched by Russia, according to the Ukrainian air force.
One person was killed and four were injured in shelling overnight in the Sumy region, local officials said, while Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said five people were hurt in shelling in his region.
On Sunday, 41 were injured when Russia shelled the regional capital, also called Kharkiv. Mr Syniehubov said a shopping centre, a sports facility and residential buildings were damaged.
