Russia downs 49 Ukrainian drones overnight
Russia's air defense systems intercepted 49 Ukrainian fixed-wing kamikaze drones overnight, its Defense Ministry said Monday. Moscow continues to target Kiev's long-range strike capabilities.
The number of long-range drones reported downed by Russian forces during recent overnight raids has varied widely, reaching as many as 174 during the night of June 5-6. On the same night, Moscow intercepted three Neptun-MD missiles over the Black Sea, the military said.
Ukrainian forces have shifted some drone launches to daytime, generating sustained drone activity that Moscow says has peaked at more than 300 in a single 24-hour period. The change in tactics has coincided with direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul.
A Ukrainian drone strike on a power substation in Russia's Kursk Region caused a blackout Sunday, regional Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein said, calling the incident an example of Kiev targeting non-military infrastructure. Russian officials regularly report civilian casualties from Ukrainian drone raids.
Kiev has urged its Western arms providers to supply more advanced long-range weapons, arguing that Ukrainian forces remain outmatched by Russia in that domain.
Automaker Renault confirmed Sunday that the French Defense Ministry had contacted the company about the possibility of launching a drone production facility in Ukraine, emphasizing that no decisions have been made.
Russia has repeatedly used cruise and ballistic missiles to strike Ukrainian military production sites and drone launch facilities, in what it describes as efforts to blunt Kiev's long-range operations. Moscow has also ramped up its own weapons manufacturing.
Ukraine's military intelligence told The Economist last month that Russian forces may soon be able to deploy more than 1,000 long-range drones per night. Moscow reportedly employs such platforms both as decoys and for reconnaissance, in addition to delivering explosive payloads in coordination with missile attacks.
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has blamed Western governments for not providing enough air defenses to counter Russian strikes. In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, he accused US President Donald Trump of redirecting anti-drone missile shipments, which had been promised to Kiev by the previous administration, to the Middle East.
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