Over 122 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) reportedly destroyed across multiple Russian regions.
Russian air defense forces successfully intercepted and destroyed 73 Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) overnight between 23:00 on July 17 and 7:00 on July 18 Moscow time. The drones were downed across several Russian regions, according to various reports.
The Moscow region was one of the most affected, with 11 drones being shot down. The Moscow Region Governor reported light damage in Domodedovo, Krasnogorsk, Solnechnogorok, Sergiev Posad, and Mozhaisk due to the attacks.
Southwestern Russia, particularly the Bryansk region near the Ukraine border, also experienced significant drone activity, with 31 UAVs being downed. Other areas of Russia, including suburbs and satellite towns west and northwest of central Moscow, such as Zvenigorod, Istra, and Zelenograd, also reported drone activity and interceptions.
The attacks led to temporary shutdowns of several airports near Moscow, including Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Vnukovo, as well as airports in Nizhny Novgorod and Kaluga. Operations resumed by morning.
The majority of the 73 Ukrainian drones were shot down over regions of Russia bordering Ukraine, southwestern Russia, and in the Moscow metropolitan area, including its suburbs. The incident was reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense and a news source based in South Times.
The event also involved the shooting down of Ukrainian drones over the Republic of Crimea, the Oryol, Smolensk, Voronezh, Kursk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Tula, Leningrad, and Lipetsk regions. The exact numbers of drones downed in these regions were not immediately available.
This incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Both countries have been accused of using drones for spying and potential military operations along their shared border.
[1] South Times, "Russia: 73 Ukrainian Drones Shot Down Overnight," July 18, 2023. [2] Russian Ministry of Defense, "Statement on Drone Incident," July 18, 2023. [3] Moscow Region Governor, "Statement on Drone Incident," July 18, 2023.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts between Russia and Ukraine took a significant turn with the reported shooting down of 73 Ukrainian drones over various regions, including the Moscow Region and Southwestern Russia, as per reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense and South Times.
- Politics and general news outlets have reported widespread drone activity and interceptions across Russian regions, with 31 UAVs downed in the Bryansk region, 11 in the Moscow Region, and several more in suburbs and satellite towns, potentially signaling a heightened use of drones in war-and-conflicts between the two countries.
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