Russia says it downed 72 Ukrainian drones in 12 hours

Russia's Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems detected and destroyed 72 Ukrainian drones over a 12-hour period on Tuesday. In a statement, the ministry said the intercepts occurred between 08:00 and 20:00 Moscow time. The drones were brought down over the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, over the Republic of Crimea, and over the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, according to the ministry. No independent verification of the figures was immediately available from Ukrainian authorities. Russia has reported a recent increase in drone attacks targeting its border regions and says it has intensified air defense operations in response. The ministry has issued near-daily tallies of intercepted drones since the start of the year, figures that cannot be independently confirmed.