During the night of February 22–23, Russia’s air defense units repelled another large-scale drone assault launched by the Ukrainian military. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 152 unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted and destroyed.

The heaviest wave targeted Belgorod Region, where 65 drones were shot down. Air defenses in Saratov Region downed 35 UAVs, while 16 were destroyed over Crimea. Eight drones each were eliminated in Voronezh and Rostov Regions.

Additional interceptions were reported over Krasnodar Territory and the waters of the Azov Sea, with four drones brought down in each area. Three aerial targets were neutralized in Volgograd Region and the Republic of Tatarstan. Kursk and Lipetsk Regions saw two drones destroyed apiece, while single UAVs were intercepted in Tula and Tver Regions.

The scale of the threat forced temporary restrictions at nine Russian airports, where arrivals and departures were briefly suspended. Flight limitations were introduced in Moscow, Kaluga, Samara, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Ulyanovsk and several other major cities.

Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that Belgorod and nearby areas had once again come under a massive missile strike. The attack caused significant damage to energy infrastructure, triggering disruptions to electricity, water supply and heating in a number of residential buildings.

Voronezh Region Governor Alexander Gusev also reported that debris from a destroyed «high-speed target» fell onto an energy facility. As a result, two districts experienced short-term power outages.

A day earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that 360 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed over Russian regions on February 22 alone. Nearly half of them — 155 UAVs — were shot down in Bryansk Region. Another 75 were intercepted in Belgorod Region, 41 in Moscow Region and 34 in Kaluga Region.