The ministry alleged that the largest number of drones — 135 — were shot down over Oryol Oblast, followed by 121 over Kursk Oblast, 63 over Moscow Oblast, and 59 over Bryansk Oblast.
Other regions reportedly targeted include Belgorod (26 drones), Kaluga (13), Tula (20), Vladimir (6), Ryazan (15), Lipetsk (4), Voronezh (7), Smolensk (3), and Rostov (2). Russia also claimed three drones were destroyed over occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, with an additional eight allegedly downed along flight routes.
During the night of May 22, unidentified drones struck sites linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex in Moscow Oblast and Tula, according to Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.
Russia’s Defense Ministry separately reported that between midnight and 5:30 a.m. Moscow time, 105 drones — allegedly launched by Ukraine — were intercepted by Russian air defenses.
The mayors of Moscow and other regional officials confirmed drone activity, with the capital’s mayor reporting that around 30 drones headed for Moscow were shot down overnight.
Flight operations at Moscow airports were disrupted repeatedly starting the evening of May 21, with temporary closures and reopenings throughout the night.
Tula region Governor Dmitry Milyayev said several homes in Tula sustained damage during the drone strikes. Two people suffered minor injuries, he added.