Ukraine, Russia trade claims of massive overnight drone interceptions

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukraine on Wednesday said its air defenses neutralized 83 of the 111 drones Russia launched across the country since Tuesday evening, while Moscow claimed to have intercepted 102 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions overnight, according to official statements from both sides.

Ukraine’s Air Force said the attack, which began after 6 pm local time (1600GMT), involved Shahed and Geran-type strike UAVs launched from Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Crimea.

It noted that more than 60 of the drones were Shahed models. “The air attack was repelled by anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups,” the statement said.

By 8 am (2000GMT), Ukrainian defenses had downed or suppressed 83 drones across the country’s north, south, and east.

Authorities recorded 27 UAV strikes on 13 locations, as well as debris impacts at another site. Civilian infrastructure and private homes were damaged in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, and Odesa regions, with casualties reported.

Meanwhile, Russian officials said drones struck oil depots in the Voronezh and Tambov regions.

The head of Russia’s Tambov region, Yevgeny Pervyshchev, said a fire erupted at the Tambov oil facility in the village of Dmytrivka after “UAV debris fell,” adding that emergency crews responded quickly.

Authorities in Voronezh said four drones were destroyed and that several fuel tanks were slightly damaged but did not ignite.

Russia’s Defense Ministry separately claimed its air defenses shot down 102 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones across seven regions overnight, including Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Astrakhan, Saratov, and Voronezh.

The competing accounts come amid intensified cross-border drone activity, with both sides reporting expanded use of long-range UAVs targeting military and energy infrastructure.

Independent verification is difficult due to the ongoing conflict.