Russian officials said that over the past 24 hours Russian air defence forces shot down more than 760 Ukrainian drones, amid a sharp escalation in long-range attacks by Moscow and Kyiv.
Russia’s Defence Ministry intercepted the drones during a period of increased Ukrainian attacks across Russian territory. The ministry did not immediately provide a detailed breakdown of where all the drones were shot down or say how many had reached their intended targets.
The claims could not be independently confirmed. Ukrainian officials have not officially confirmed the Russian numbers.
The reported barrage comes as both countries have ramped up drone strikes, with Ukraine increasingly targeting Russian oil facilities and other infrastructure. Kyiv has said its strikes are targeting military and energy-related facilities that support Russia’s war effort. Russian officials have reported intercepting large numbers of Ukrainian drones on several occasions.
The latest claims come as Russian air strikes continue to target Ukraine. The Associated Press reported on Saturday that Russia had launched 167 attack drones overnight, with Ukrainian air defences claiming to have shot down or suppressed 128 of the drones. Russian officials said 53 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight.
The stepped-up air campaign coincides with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to make trips to Moscow and Kyiv to try to revive efforts to end the war.
