Published: July 18, 2025 10:42 pm
Author: RT
Russian air defenses intercepted almost 90 UAVs in less than 5 hours, according to the Defense Ministry
Russia’s air defenses destroyed dozens of incoming Ukrainian drones over multiple regions on Friday night, the country’s Defense Ministry said, while Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported additional 12 interceptions overnight.
Ukraine has been conducting UAV raids deep into Russian territory for months, often striking residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure. The Russian government describes Ukraine’s strikes as “terrorist attacks” deliberately targeting civilians.
The ministry said the intercepts occurred across several areas, including the Bryansk, Oryol, Kaluga, Rostov, Tula, Kursk, Smolensk, Voronezh, and Moscow regions, with a total of 87 hostile targets downed between 6:15 pm and 11:05 pm Friday.
The drone raid continued into the night, with Sobyanin reporting at least 12 more interceptions of drones en route to Moscow after midnight, as of 1:40 am Saturday. There were no reports of casualties or damage, with emergency crews responding to the crash sites, according to the official.
Kiev has intensified attempted drone attacks on Moscow over the past week, according to Sobyanin, who has been reporting similar incidents since Wednesday.
Last month, Sobyanin told reporters that the city’s air defense system operates at the “highest level,” intercepting 99.9% of targets. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov earlier emphasized that Russia employs layered air defense systems to minimize the threat posed by drone attacks.
