Russia says it downed 193 Ukrainian drones overnight; one killed in Bryansk

Russia’s defence ministry said Monday that its air defences shot down 193 Ukrainian drones overnight, in what it described as one of the largest such attacks to date.

“During the past night, air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 193 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles,” the ministry said on Telegram.

Local officials in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, reported one fatality. Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz said a minibus was hit in the village of Pogar, killing the driver and injuring five passengers.

According to the defence ministry, 47 drones were destroyed over Bryansk and 40 in the Moscow region, most of which were headed toward the capital.

Russia has maintained an almost continuous wave of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, frequently targeting energy facilities and infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Ukraine, in turn, has stepped up its own long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and energy sites, in an effort to weaken Moscow’s war economy.

SR