Forty-eight Ukrainian drones allegedly bombarded over Russian territory have been confirmed destroyed by the Ministry of Defense.
In recent weeks, a series of incidents involving the interception of Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by Russian air defense systems has been reported across various Russian regions.
On July 1, 2025, Ukrainian Bober drones were reported to have struck multiple Russian air defense assets and a Su-30 fighter jet in the Crimea region, causing significant damage. The targets included a Pantsir-S1 air defense system, a Niobium-SV radar, a Pechora-3 coastal radar, a Protivnik-GE radar, and a Su-30 fighter jet at the Saky airfield.
The following night, on July 1 to 2, 2025, Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces conducted a high-precision special operation using bomber drones launched from unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in Crimea. This operation resulted in the destruction of three critical components of the Russian Nebo-M radar system on the peninsula.
On July 5, 2025, Russia launched a massive drone and decoy attack against Ukraine, with over 300 drones involved. While Ukraine successfully shot down 157 drones over its territory, the majority of the engagement took place on the Russian-to-Ukrainian front rather than over Russian regions themselves.
In the most recent incident, which took place over a duration of approximately five hours, starting from the previous attack, 48 UAVs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were downed over eight Russian regions. The downed UAVs were mainly concentrated in the Bryansk region, where 17 were shot down. Other regions affected included Moscow, Smolensk, Kaluga, Kursk, Yaroslavl, and Crimea, with five UAVs each downed in the Smolensk, Kaluga, and Kursk regions, two in the Yaroslavl and Crimea regions, and five in the Moscow region, including two approaching Moscow.
The exact number of UAVs downed over each region, apart from the Bryansk region, was not specified. The information about the downed UAVs was provided by the press service of the Ministry of Defense. The interception of the drones occurred between 13:50 and 19:00 Moscow time.
These engagements highlight Ukraine’s increasing sophistication in drone warfare and Russia’s challenges in defending its airspace, especially in contested regions like Crimea. However, specific Russian air defenses’ statistics on downed Ukrainian UAVs over Russian territory are not provided in the sources consulted. It is believed that the majority of the downed UAVs were in operation during daylight hours in Moscow time.
The escalating drone attacks, as evidenced by the recent incidents, are becoming a new focus of war-and-conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, especially in the contested region of Crimea. This increasing sophistication in drone warfare is a significant aspect of general-news, showcasing the challenges faced by both countries in their politics and military strategies.
