During the night of August 24 to 25, Russia’s air defense forces repelled a large-scale drone attack launched by Ukrainian forces. According to the Ministry of Defense, between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Moscow time, air defense units intercepted and destroyed 21 fixed-wing drones.

The heaviest strike was aimed at Smolensk Region, where seven drones were taken down. Six more were intercepted over Bryansk Region. In Orel Region, three aircraft-type drones were eliminated, while another three were destroyed in the skies over the Moscow area — two of them heading directly toward the capital. Additional drones were downed over Kaluga and Tver Regions, one in each case.

The ministry noted that such attacks have become a daily tactic of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with drones targeting both border territories and central regions of Russia. Russian air defense systems continue to detect and neutralize the majority of these aircraft before they reach their intended targets.

In response to the ongoing strikes, Russian forces have been carrying out precision attacks against drone assembly facilities in Ukraine, defense industry sites, as well as Ukrainian troop positions and storage locations for weapons and military equipment.