Russian Defense Ministry: Air Defenses Downed 301 Ukrainian Drones Overnight
Quick Look
- Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 301 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across various Russian regions and over the Black Sea between Friday evening and Saturday morning.
- Drone debris fell in several areas, prompting evacuations in one instance, and temporary flight restrictions were imposed at multiple airports.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Russian Defense Ministry reported a large number of Ukrainian drone attacks overnight across multiple Russian regions. Emergency services responded to drone debris, and airport operations were temporarily affected.
MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Air defenses shot down 301 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Russian regions last night, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
TASS has gathered the key information about the attacks.
Defense Ministry’s statement
- On-duty air defenses intercepted and destroyed 301 Ukrainian UAVs between 8:00 p.m. Moscow time on June 21 and 7:00 a.m. Moscow time on June 22 (5:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m. GMT), the Defense Ministry reported.
- According to the ministry, the drones were shot down over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Rostov, Tambov, Tver, Tula, Smolensk, Moscow and Krasnodar regions, as well as over Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Attacks on Russian regions
- According to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, 80 drones heading for Moscow have been downed since midnight.
- Emergency personnel are working at the sites where drone debris fell, Sobyanin wrote on the Max messaging app.
- Air defenses destroyed 18 drones over six districts of the Voronezh Region; according to preliminary reports, there were no casualties, Governor Alexander Gusev wrote on Max.
- Air defenses shot down five UAVs over the Kaluga Region, Governor Vladislav Shapsha reported.
- According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure.
- A total of 192 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones were destroyed over the Bryansk Region in the past day, Acting Governor Yegor Kovalchuk wrote on Telegram.
- A drone hit an apartment building in the town of Shchekino in the Tula Region, prompting an evacuation. No casualties were reported, according to preliminary data, Governor Dmitry Milyayev said on Max.
- He noted emergency services were working at the site.
- The Dome of Donbass air defense system repelled attacks involving 18 drones in the past 24 hours, the Donetsk People’s Republic’s defense headquarters reported.
Airport operations
- According to Russia’s aviation authority, temporary restrictions on inbound and outbound flights were introduced at airports in the cities of Ivanovo, Saratov, Tambov and Yaroslavl.
- Restrictions were also imposed at Moscow’s airports of Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo.
- A total of 83 flights have been delayed at Sochi International Airport, according to its online flight board.
- At Sochi Airport, the aviation authority imposed temporary restrictions at 8:09 p.m. on June 21 and lifted them at 11:51 p.m.
- Restrictions were also introduced at airports in Krasnodar and Gelendzhik to ensure flight safety.
- Fifteen arrivals and departures have been delayed at Krasnodar International Airport, according to the flight board.
- A total of 16 flights were delayed at Khrabrovo Airport in Kaliningrad, with another 12 flights cancelled, as of 9:20 a.m.
- Aeroflot flights en route to Sheremetyevo that were diverted to reserve airports have now departed for their destination, the airline said.
- Aeroflot said earlier that it had been forced to change flight schedules due to restrictions at Moscow airports.
- The airline added that passengers at Sheremetyevo Airport were being provided with drinks, meals and hotel accommodation depending on flight delay times.
Open Questions
- What is the extent of damage from the downed drones?
- What is Ukraine's objective with these widespread attacks?
- What is Russia's retaliatory strategy?
