Russian air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones overnight, with two drones downed over Moscow and nine in the surrounding vicinity, as reported by the Defense Ministry on Sunday. The drones were targeted in various regions, including Kursk, Bryansk, Voronezh, and Belgorod, all bordering Ukraine. Additionally, drones were intercepted in the Tver and Ivanovo regions of Russia and in 15 other regions according to the Defense Ministry.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin noted that debris from one of the downed drones caused a fire at an oil refinery in the city. The Ukrainian drone strikes have escalated the conflict beyond the front lines into the heart of Russia, targeting strategic locations to impede Russian military advances.
In Belgorod, a Russian border region, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov revealed that nine people were injured in Ukrainian aerial missile attacks, with eight casualties reported in the regional capital. Furthermore, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the capture of Pivnichne and Vyimka towns in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, a claim that could not be independently confirmed by the Associated Press.
Russian forces continue their advance into eastern Ukraine, focusing on seizing control of critical areas like Pokrovsk, a key logistics center for Ukrainian defenses. Tragically, three individuals lost their lives and nine were wounded due to Russian shelling in Kurakhove, located south of Pokrovsk, as reported by Donetsk regional Governor Vadym Filashkin.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, eight out of eleven Russian-launched drones were shot down by the Ukrainian air force. In the Sumy region, one person was killed and four were wounded in overnight shelling, and Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov disclosed that five individuals were injured in his region. On a devastating note, 41 more people were wounded in Kharkiv when the regional capital came under Russian shelling, damaging various buildings, including a shopping center and residential structures.
For more updates on the situation in Ukraine, follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
