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Russia Claims 76 Drones Intercepted in Attack on Moscow
Developing
In Short: Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin says air defenses shot down 76 Ukrainian drones targeting the capital, as attacks hit multiple regions.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defenses had intercepted 76 Ukrainian drones attempting to target the capital, according to Kyiv Independent. The attacks extended beyond Moscow, with intercepted drones also reported over Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol, Tula, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vladimir oblasts, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea.
Russian aviation authorities temporarily restricted operations at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports near Moscow overnight, citing flight safety concerns. Other airports, including Saratov, also faced temporary restrictions as the attacks continued.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported downing 138 out of 174 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight. The attacks came after Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed earlier that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 288 Ukrainian drones between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. on September 19.
The Black Sea resort of Sochi temporarily closed access to beaches and the waterfront over the threat of a Ukrainian sea drone attack, the city's Mayor Andrey Proshunin said on September 19. A 2-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl were killed by a Russian drone strike the evening of September 19, regional authorities said.
Raybird systems have logged more than 350,000 combat hours since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyeton said. Meanwhile, the Foreign Intelligence Service reported that some of the Yemeni nationals Russia plans to recruit for the war against Ukraine were born in 2006 and 2007.
What this adds
The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify Russia’s claims.
Background
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a Russian gas facility in Siberia, marking the farthest attack of the war.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.