Russia downs 148 Ukrainian drones over 24 hours

Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a total of 148 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the airplane type during a large-scale drone raid within a day.

According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, 148 Ukrainian UAVs were shot down between 10:00 Moscow time (11:00 GMT+4) on May 25 to 08:00 (09:00 GMT+4) on May 26, Caliber.Az reports. 

Moreover, the ministry noted that 96 of the drones were shot down between 20:00 on May 25 and the early hours of May 26. The UAVs were intercepted over several regions, including Bryansk, where 31 drones were reportedly downed, followed by 16 in Belgorod, 11 in Kursk, nine in Tula, and eight in Oryol. In the Moscow region, six drones were said to have been destroyed, with five more in Kaluga, four in Ivanovo, two each in Ryazan and Vladimir, and one drone each in the Yaroslavl region and the Republic of Tatarstan.

Drones have been used throughout the war by both sides for reconnaissance and direct strikes. However, Ukraine has increasingly relied on drones to target critical infrastructure, such as airfields, ammunition depots, radar systems, and even naval vessels. Ukrainian forces, bolstered by a growing arsenal of locally produced and Western-supplied drones, have exploited this relatively low-cost, high-impact tactic to disrupt Russia’s military operations and logistics.

Russia attacked Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions with drones and missiles overnight on May 25, killing 12 people, including three children, and injuring at least 79. 

The drone attacks come just one night after Kyiv endured one of the heaviest Russian assaults since the start of the full-scale war. The timing also coincides with Kyiv Day, a city holiday traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday in May.

By Sabina Mammadli