Russia Says It Shot Down Over 400 Ukrainian Drones in Overnight Attack

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed hundreds of Ukrainian drones during the night of July 7-8. In a statement carried by the state news agency RIA Novosti, the ministry claimed that a total of 415 unmanned aerial vehicles were taken down across 18 regions of the country.

The attack, described by Moscow as a massive drone raid, struck targets from Crimea and Tatarstan in the south and east to the Lipetsk, Vladimir, Vologda, and Ryazan regions in central Russia. The Moscow area and Krasnodar Krai were also among the regions affected, according to the ministry’s account. Notably, the statement made no mention of any damage or casualties on the ground.

The overnight assault came just hours after reports emerged that Ukraine had struck Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov. Officials said no oil spill occurred from that incident. The back-to-back operations mark an escalation in Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russian territory, though Moscow insists its defenses are holding.