Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced on Wednesday that 20 drones targeting the Russian capital were intercepted. Sobyanin stated via the "Max" platform: "Emergency experts are working at the crash site".
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones over various Russian regions and the Black Sea within two hours, including Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Tula, Tver, Ryazan, Voronezh, the Moscow region and its outskirts, the Krasnodar Territory, and the Black Sea waters.
Russian authorities announced one casualty and six injuries due to Ukrainian strikes on the Belgorod region.
Conversely, Ukrainian authorities reported that a Russian attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia resulted in at least one death and seven injuries.
The "Kyiv Independent" reported that warnings for additional strikes persisted on Wednesday morning due to Russian drones in the air.
Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov stated that the attack damaged civilian infrastructure and ignited a fire in a multi-story residential building.
Zaporizhzhia is notable for hosting Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which was seized by Russian forces early in the 2022 invasion. There were no indications that the facility was targeted in the latest attack.
Explosions were also reported in the northeastern city of Sumy, as stated by "Obshchestvennoe Novosti". The paper did not provide further details but had noted earlier explosions in the area, and air raid sirens sounded across multiple Ukrainian provinces, including Sumy.
Russia is increasingly reliant on missiles and drones in its prolonged war against Ukraine. Despite Ukrainian air defenses intercepting many, missile strikes continue to cause substantial damage.
Russian attacks have intensified in recent months, with May reportedly being the deadliest for civilians since the war began in February 2022, with 274 dead and around 1800 injured, according to the UN.
The Russian Defense Ministry also stated that overnight, 157 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over a variety of Russian areas and the Black Sea.
Drones were intercepted over Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Tula, Oryol, Smolensk, Lipetsk, Tver, Ryazan, Rostov, Astrakhan, the Moscow area and its outskirts, the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Crimea, and the Black Sea.