Russia Downs 20 Drones Over Moscow Since Midnight

RunWithRugs · 2026-03-17T03:49:00+00:00

More than 20 drones were shot down over Moscow in a recent wave of attacks, totaling over 180 in three days. No casualties were reported. Russia's air defense systems are actively intercepting threats, as Ukraine increases its drone activity.

RunWithRugs

2026-03-17 03:49:00

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(MENAFN- IANS) Moscow, March 17 (IANS) More than 20 drones have been shot down over Moscow since midnight Tuesday, the Russian news agency TASS reported.

In the last three days, over 180 drones have been downed, marking the largest wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital this year, said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

Moscow authorities reported no casualties or infrastructure damage, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on March 16, the Russian Defense Ministry had said that Russian air defence systems shot down 145 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight, including dozens targeting the Moscow region.

Between 11 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday (2000 GMT Sunday and 0500 GMT Monday), a total of 53 drones were intercepted over the Moscow region, including 46 heading toward the capital, the ministry said. Another 38 drones were downed over the border region of Bryansk.

Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of Moscow, said that over the past two days, air defense forces had destroyed about 250 Ukrainian drones approaching the city and at a second defensive line in its direction.

Flight restrictions were repeatedly introduced and lifted at several Moscow airports during the period, according to the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency.

On Sunday, Russia had said that it shot down 605 drones, 12 US-made HIMARS rockets, two Neptune long-range missiles and four guided aerial bombs fired by the Ukrainian armed forces.

Meanwhile, Russian forces had raided energy and transport infrastructure used by Ukrainian troops, sites involved in Ukraine’s training and launch of long-range drones, and temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries, Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier on Sunday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin had said on social media that Russia’s air defence systems had intercepted 28 Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia launched about 430 drones and several ballistic missiles towards Ukraine and underlined the importance of air defence system as a “daily necessity” for the country.

He urged for speeding up of agreements on missile supplies and called for the production of air defence missiles.

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