In a striking escalation of ongoing hostilities, Russia’s defense ministry reported that it successfully intercepted and destroyed 251 Ukrainian drones overnight. This incident marks one of Kyiv’s most significant retaliatory attacks since the onset of the war over three years ago.
According to a statement on Telegram, the ministry detailed that Russian air defense systems were able to shoot down a total of 251 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Ukraine in a single night. The report highlighted that 40 of these drones were brought down over Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, while 62 others fell over the Black Sea. Moreover, additional drone interceptions occurred in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, along with several other locations.
The frequency and scale of drone and missile attacks have intensified, reflecting the ongoing military conflict as Russia continues its full-scale invasion that began in February 2022. Russian forces have relentlessly targeted Ukraine’s energy networks with missile and drone strikes, aiming to disrupt essential services and weaken Ukrainian resilience.
In response to these aggressive tactics, Ukraine has ramped up its counter-offensives, launching strikes against Russian oil refineries and other crucial energy infrastructure. This tit-for-tat strategy showcases both nations’ commitment to inflicting damage on each other’s critical assets as the conflict shows no signs of abating.
