Russian air defences down 97 Ukrainian drones overnight, authorities say

Russia’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 97 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight, according to a statement released by the Russian Defence Ministry on April 14.

The ministry said the drones were shot down between 20:00 Moscow time on April 13 and 07:00 the following morning. The intercepted UAVs were identified as fixed-wing aircraft-type drones.

According to the statement, the aerial targets were neutralised across multiple regions, including Bryansk, Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, Tula, and Rostov. Additional interceptions were reported over Crimea and the waters of the Sea of Azov.

Regional authorities also reported casualties linked to the attacks. The governor of the Lipetsk region stated that one person was killed and five others were injured following a UAV strike on the city of Yelets.