A total of 660 drones have been neutralized in various parts of Russia, the country's Defense Ministry says. This is one of the highest numbers during the war, according to a tally by the AFP news agency.
Nearly 50 of the drones were reported to have been headed toward Moscow. The first wave towards the capital arrived around 2:30 a.m. local time, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's updates on Telegram.
"Rescue services are working at the wreckage site," he announced repeatedly during the night.
In recent months, Ukraine has escalated its attacks deep inside Russia, with several major attacks on both the Moscow and St. Petersburg regions. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a 40-day offensive of long-range strikes against Russia, with the aim of persuading the attacking force to end the war.
The Tula region, around 200 kilometers south of Moscow, has also been hit hard overnight. According to Governor Dmitry Milyayev, drones have hit an industrial plant in the city of Novomoskovsk, as well as a home in Shchyokino, where a woman was reportedly injured.
“The risk of drone attacks remains in the region,” the governor wrote on Telegram at 6 a.m. Friday.
