Russia Says Air Defenses Destroyed 822 Ukrainian Drones Overnight

Dragon Media News Desk

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 822 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over multiple Russian regions and the Black and Azov Seas overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

According to the ministry, the interceptions took place between 8:00 p.m. Moscow time on August 15 and 8:00 a.m. on August 16.

The drones were reportedly destroyed over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Tambov and Tula regions.

The ministry said additional drones were intercepted over the Moscow Region, Krasnodar Region and the Republic of Crimea, as well as over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The Russian Defense Ministry described the incident as a large-scale Ukrainian drone operation targeting a broad range of regions.

A complete assessment of material damage and casualties was not immediately available. The Russian claim that 822 drones were destroyed has not been independently verified.