Russian air defenses repelled one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks of the year overnight on October 29. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, air defense units intercepted and destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing UAVs during the massive assault.

The drones were brought down across 16 Russian regions: Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, Kaluga, Tula, Smolensk, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Tver, Oryol, Ryazan, Vladimir, Samara, Saratov, Penza and Rostov. Air defense systems were also deployed in the Moscow region and the republics of Bashkortostan and Udmurtia.

The Moscow area faced an especially intense wave of incoming drones. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 613 Ukrainian UAVs were heading toward the Moscow region between 8:30 p.m. on October 28 and 7:00 a.m. on October 29. Defense Ministry units eliminated most of them well before they could reach the capital, while another 231 were destroyed on the approaches to Moscow.

Bryansk region also came under a large-scale drone assault. Governor Yegor Kovalchuk reported that Russian forces had shot down more than 440 Ukrainian UAVs over the region within 24 hours.

In neighboring Kursk region, air defenses destroyed 153 drones of various types over the previous day. The attacks left five civilians wounded, according to Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein. Three people — two women and a man — were injured in Lgov, while two other men sustained injuries in the village of Kekino in Glushkovsky district and the town of Dmitriev.

The region also faced repeated artillery strikes. Ukrainian forces shelled evacuated areas 30 times and carried out seven additional attacks involving explosive devices delivered by drones.

Belgorod region suffered deadly consequences from Ukrainian strikes. Governor Aleksandr Shuvayev reported that one civilian was killed and seven others were injured on October 28. Russian air defense and other units intercepted or suppressed 233 Ukrainian UAVs over the region during the day.

Local authorities recorded 114 Ukrainian attacks in total. The region also came under eight artillery and multiple-launch rocket system bombardments, while another strike involved explosives dropped from a drone. Belgorod city and 15 districts were targeted.

The damage extended across 55 settlements, according to the regional operational headquarters. Four apartment buildings and 16 private homes were hit, along with three commercial properties, two infrastructure facilities and an administrative building. Agricultural machinery and 23 vehicles also sustained damage.

The overnight assault followed another series of drone attacks on October 28. Between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Moscow time, Russian air defense crews shot down 90 Ukrainian UAVs, the Defense Ministry reported. Those interceptions took place over Belgorod, Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, Voronezh, Ryazan and Tula regions.