Russia says it shot down 31 Ukrainian drones over several regions

Russia said on Monday that it had shot down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight over several Russian regions and annexed Crimea.

“During the night new attempts by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist attacks with the help of aerial drones… against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation were foiled,” the defense ministry said in a statement on the Telegram social media channel.

Twelve drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine and where a Ukrainian strike had killed 15 people on Sunday, it said.

Eight drones were destroyed over the region of Kursk, also bordering Ukraine, and four were intercepted over the neighboring region of Lipetsk, it said.

Seven drones and four Storm Shadow missiles were destroyed over Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Ukraine has upped its attacks on Russian territory over the past several months.

Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian territory since Moscow first sent troops into its neighbor in February 2022.