Russian Air Defense shot down 105 Ukrainian drones last night: MoD
3 Min Read
Russian air defense intercepted 105 Ukrainian drones overnight, with multiple regions targeted in the largest drone attack in recent weeks.
-
Smoke covers the sky above the city following Russia's missile and drone attack in Kiev, Ukraine, on June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Friday that Russian air defense systems successfully intercepted 105 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during a large-scale drone attack overnight. According to the official statement, the drones were detected and neutralized across multiple regions in Russia.
The ministry also provided details of the regional breakdown of the attempted drone incursion. In total, 26 drones were downed over the Belgorod Region, 25 over the Bryansk Region, and 23 over the Rostov Region. An additional nine drones were intercepted over the Azov Sea, eight over the Krasnodar Territory, and five over the Stavropol Region.
Smaller-scale attacks were also reported, with three drones each intercepted over the Kursk and Tambov Regions, two over the Voronezh Region, and one over the Oryol Region.
This incident marks one of the most extensive Ukrainian drone operations against Russian territory in recent weeks. The Russian Defense Ministry did not report any casualties or material damage as a result of the drone interceptions.
The increased use of UAVs by Ukrainian forces reflects a growing reliance on unmanned systems in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, particularly in efforts to penetrate Russian airspace and test its defense infrastructure.
Russian drone hit rate triples to 15%
Earlier this week, the Financial Times (FT) on July 21 reported that Russia's escalating drone warfare strategy is increasingly breaching Ukraine's air defenses, with recent attacks demonstrating a sharp rise in effectiveness.
Ukrainian military data reveals that 15% of Russian drones now reach their targets, up from just 5% earlier this year, as Moscow deploys larger, more sophisticated swarms to overwhelm Kiev's defenses.
At the core of this progress is the Geran drone series, the domestically manufactured version of the Shahed platform, now upgraded with Russian-engineered enhancements. On July 9, the Russian Armed Forces carried out one of the largest and most sophisticated aerial operations to date, deploying 728 drones and decoys in a coordinated strike that overwhelmed Ukrainian defenses.
The latest Geran-3 model features increased flight speed and altitude, including the ability to dive at 800 km/h, rendering traditional air defense methods increasingly obsolete. These upgrades reflect Russia’s capacity for innovation under pressure, enabling it to maintain a strategic edge.
