Russia says it downed more than 150 drones in one of the biggest Ukrainian aerial attacks of the war

Russian air defences have intercepted and destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two over Moscow and nine over the surrounding region, according to Russia's Ministry of Defence.

Forty-six of the drones were over the Kursk region, where Ukraine has sent its forces in recent weeks in the largest incursion on Russian soil since World War II.

A further 34 were shot over the Bryansk region, 28 over the Voronezh region, and 14 over the Belgorod region — all of which border Ukraine.

Drones were also shot down deeper into Russia, including one each in the Tver region, north-west of Moscow, and the Ivanovo region, north-east of the Russian capital.

The defence ministry said drones were intercepted over 15 regions, in what is one of the biggest drone attacks launched by Ukraine through the war.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said falling debris from one of the two drones shot down over the city caused a fire at an oil refinery.

Ukrainian drone strikes have brought the fight far from the front line into the heart of Russia. Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has stepped up aerial assaults on Russian soil, targeting refineries and oil terminals to slow down the Kremlin's assault.

The fighting comes at a critical juncture in the two-and-a-half-year conflict.

Russia is pressing an offensive in eastern Ukraine, particularly Donbas, while trying to expel Ukrainian forces that broke through its western border in the surprise Kursk incursion on August 6.

The total capture of Ukraine's partly occupied eastern region is one of the Kremlin's primary ambitions, with the bulk of its troops deployed there. Russian forces continue to advance towards Pokrovsk, a vital military hub for Kyiv.

Last week, Russia pounded Ukraine with its heaviest air strikes of the war, hitting targets including energy facilities.

Moscow, which denies targeting civilians, says damaging Ukraine's energy system is a legitimate military goal. Its drone and missile barrages have killed thousands of civilians since the conflict began in February 2022.

Ukraine, with a rapidly expanding domestic drone industry, has stepped up its attacks on Russian energy, military and transport infrastructure.

Kyiv is also pressing the United States and other allies for permission to use more powerful Western-supplied weapons to inflict greater damage inside Russia and hit Moscow's abilities to attack Ukraine.

Advances in eastern Ukraine

Elsewhere in Russia on Sunday, local time, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said 11 people were wounded in Ukrainian aerial missile attacks in the Russian border region of Belgorod.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said it had taken control of the towns of Pivnichne and Vyimka, in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

At least three people were killed and nine wounded in Russian shelling in the town of Kurakhove, some 33 kilometres south of Pokrovsk.

Also on Sunday, 44 people were wounded when Russia attacked the Kharkiv regional capital. The city was struck by 10 missiles, with a shopping centre, a sports facility and residential buildings among those damaged.

Elsewhere in Ukraine overnight, eight drones were shot down out of 11 launched by Russia, according to the Ukrainian air force.

One person was killed and four wounded in shelling overnight in the Sumy region, local officials said, while Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said five other people had been wounded in his region.

Story By: AP/Reuters

Original Story link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-02/russia-intercepts-one-of-the-biggest-ukrainian-drone-attacks/104297824