Russia says air defenses downed 147 Ukrainian drones overnight

MOSCOW — Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defense units intercepted 147 Ukrainian drones over a 12-hour period ending at 8 p.m. Moscow time on Monday, according to a written statement. The ministry said the drones were shot down over the cities of Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Vladimir, Kursk, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Tula and Moscow, as well as over the Republic of Crimea and the Black Sea. It added that Russian air defense forces conducted intensive counteroperations against long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory. Border regions, particularly Belgorod and Bryansk, have continued to face the highest frequency of Ukrainian drone attacks, according to information from the area. Russian officials noted that the number of drones intercepted has risen markedly in recent weeks and said defensive operations would continue. Local municipal authorities said additional airspace security measures were in place to prevent damage to civilian infrastructure. Drones neutralized over the Black Sea are believed to have been aimed at the Crimean Peninsula. No further details were immediately available. This is a corrected version of the Google translation. This article was edited by Iraq News monitor.