Russia shoots down nearly 20 Ukraine drones over six Russian regions

The Russian military intercepted and destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones over Kursk, Belgorod, Rostov, Voronezh, Samara and Astrakhan regions, according to the Telegram channel of the Russian Defense Ministry.

“10 UAVs - over the territory of Rostov region, three UAVs - over the territory of Voronezh region, two UAVs - over the territory of Samara region and one UAV each - over the territories of Kursk, Belgorod and Astrakhan regions,” the ministry said, per Caliber.Az.

Ukraine began using drone attacks on Russian territory early in the conflict, with significant escalation in 2022.

The first notable instances of Ukrainian drones attacking Russian targets occurred in the summer of 2022. Ukrainian military officials were reported as having used both commercially available drones and military-grade UAVs to target Russian military infrastructure, logistics, and supply lines.

Drone attacks became more frequent and widespread in 2023, with Ukraine increasingly using drones to target Russian cities and military installations, including in Crimea and along the Russian border. Ukraine's drone capabilities expanded further in 2024 and into 2025, with advanced models capable of longer-range operations.

In 2025, Russia's defense ministry reported multiple incidents of Ukrainian drones being intercepted over Russian territory. Russian air defense systems have destroyed drones across regions such as Kursk, Belgorod, Bryansk, Crimea, Rostov, Volgograd, Krasnodar, Orel, and Kursk. In several cases, the ministry claimed that air defense systems intercepted dozens of drones overnight, with some causing fires at strategic locations like oil depots near the Ukrainian border.

By Khagan Isayev