Russian air defense forces downed 19 Ukrainian drones and one cruise missile over regions in the western and southern parts of the country, the defense ministry said early Wednesday, as regional authorities reported damage to buildings.
“Air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 11 drones over the Belgorod region, four over the Bryansk region and one drone each over the Kursk, Kaluga and Rostov regions and the republic of Crimea,” the military said, referring to the annexed peninsula.
“A Neptune-MD guided missile was also destroyed over the Kursk region,” it added.
Kursk region Governor Alexei Smirnov said a fire broke out at an unidentified facility after midnight. He said the blaze was contained a few hours later and did not result in any deaths or injuries.
Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said overnight attacks led to minor fires at a commercial building, a house and an apartment complex in the town of Shebekino. He later claimed that Ukrainian forces fired six rounds of cluster munitions at the buildings.
The governors of the Kaluga, Rostov and Bryansk regions did not report any damage to buildings or injuries. There was no immediate comment from the Russian-installed governor of annexed Crimea about the attacks.
Ukraine’s air force, meanwhile, said that Russian forces launched one cruise missile and 89 Iranian-designed attack drones overnight.
“Today, Ukrainian air defense withstood and repelled a mass attack by enemy drones,” it said in a statement, describing it as the largest aerial barrage against the country in months.
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