Moscow: Russia said on Tuesday that it had intercepted 209 Ukrainian drones overnight and into the morning, marking the second consecutive day of large-scale strikes launched by Kyiv across multiple Russian regions.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the drones were mainly shot down over Kursk, Nizhny Novgorod, and Belgorod regions. Governor Gleb Nikitin of Nizhny Novgorod confirmed that one of the strikes hit an industrial facility, though no casualties were reported.
The overnight assault followed Monday’s barrage of 251 drones, part of what analysts describe as Ukraine’s most intense cross-border drone campaign since the start of the war. Two people were killed in Belgorod on Monday after a rocket strike, while ongoing repair work has left 1,000 residents in four settlements without electricity, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Kyiv has increased its attacks on Russian energy and oil infrastructure, describing them as a legitimate response to Moscow’s daily bombardments of Ukrainian cities that have repeatedly crippled power grids and left millions without heating or electricity.
Ukraine’s military reported that Russia launched 154 drones and missiles between Monday and Tuesday, about half of which were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses. Several unmanned aircraft struck railway and energy sites in Ukraine’s Poltava and Sumy regions, cutting power to more than 1,000 residents.
The Russian army continues to occupy roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula annexed in 2014, as both sides endure mounting losses amid relentless fighting along the frontlines.