REVISES HEADLINE, SPOT AND LEDE; ADDS STATEMENT ON LATEST ALLEGED DRONE ATTACKS BY UKRAINE
By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia claimed on Sunday that it thwarted Ukrainian drone attacks over the Belgorod and Kursk regions.
“Today, at around 4 a.m. (0100GMT), an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by one aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicle on objects in the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
The statement noted that the drone was detected and destroyed by Russian air defense systems in the region, adding there were no casualties or damage.
The ministry claimed that another drone attack at about 11 a.m. Moscow time (0800GMT) was foiled by air defense systems in the region, adding that no casualties or damage were reported.
In a later statement, the ministry also reported a third drone attack in the Kursk region at about 11:30 a.m. Moscow time (0830GMT) which caused no damage or casualties.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the attack, and independent verification of Russia’s claim is difficult due to the ongoing war.
Ukraine is said to have unleashed a series of attacks on Russia's border regions in recent months, notably Bryansk and Belgorod, which were hit with drones and artillery and raided by paramilitary groups.