Russian air defences claim downing of 72 Ukrainian drones

Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 72 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over a five-hour period, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced.

The ministry said the drones were shot down between 09:00 and 14:00 Moscow time on June 17.

“On June 17 from 09:00 Moscow time to 14:00 Moscow time, on-duty air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 72 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kursk, Ryazan, Tver, Tula regions, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Crimea, and over the Black Sea,” the ministry said.

By Vafa Guliyeva