Russia says 54 Ukrainian drones shot down overnight across several regions

Russia's Defence Ministry claims its air defences intercepted and destroyed 54 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones during the night across multiple regions, including occupied Crimea and areas near the Black Sea.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, as cited by Caliber.Az, the drones  24 drones were downed over Bryansk region, 12 over Rostov, and 6 over Crimea. 

"The remaining drones were intercepted over the Sea of Azov (4), the Black Sea (3), Oryol and Tula regions (2 each), and 1 over Belgorod region," the ministry stated.

Meanwhile, on July 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a factory that manufactures interceptor drones, which are increasingly regarded as a key defence against Russian aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. He announced a target to produce up to 1,000 of these drones daily.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said that the newly-appointed Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal had provided an update on foreign aid that would allow Ukraine to "ensure a reliable flow of weapons for Ukrainian soldiers."

He added, "I called for preparations for a Technology Staff meeting, specifically focused on drones," and highlighted that "a plan has been approved to reach production of 500-1,000 interceptor drones per day. The deadline has been set, and achieving this is the personal responsibility of every official involved."

By Aghakazim Guliyev