Russia claims interception of 15 Ukrainian drones

Russian defence officials have reported that their air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 15 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones between 08:00 and 13:00 Moscow time on January 13.

According to the Ministry of Defence, ten of the drones were shot down over Crimea, while two were intercepted over the Volgograd region, two over the Kursk region, and one over the Sea of Azov.

The ministry did not provide further details on the purpose of the drones or any potential damage caused.

Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry, units from the “Centre” group of forces struck Ukrainian brigades near several settlements in the Donetsk region, as well as in parts of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Moscow claims Ukrainian losses of up to 400 troops, along with armoured vehicles and artillery.

The ministry also said the “East” group advanced deeper into Ukrainian defensive positions in areas of the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, reporting more than 270 Ukrainian casualties.

Meanwhile, Russia’s “Dnipro” group was said to have targeted Ukrainian units in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, destroying a tank, artillery systems and electronic warfare equipment.

Russian officials added that air strikes, missiles, artillery and drones hit storage sites for long-range drones and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian forces and foreign fighters. Air defences were reported to have intercepted guided bombs, HIMARS rockets and more than 200 drones.

By Aghakazim Guliyev