Russia faces overnight drone strikes, alleges Ukrainian involvement

Russian air defenses shot down a drone over the Ramenskoye district of Moscow Oblast, with no reported casualties or damage, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said.

Residents in the area reported hearing a loud explosion around 3:40 a.m. MSK, according to Russian Telegram channel SHOT. Later, Sobyanin announced another drone interception in the Pavlovo-Posad district, with emergency services deployed to the site.

Bryansk Oblast also faced a substantial drone attack with air defense units having intercepted and destroyed 26 drones in the area.

He had earlier mentioned ongoing efforts by Russian military units to repel the UAV strikes but withheld details. On the evening of Nov. 17, he stated that two drones were detected and intercepted approximately 20 minutes apart, causing no injuries or damage.

A total of 59 drones were shot down across several oblasts: two over Moscow Oblast, 45 over Bryansk Oblast, six over Kursk Oblast, and three each over Belgorod and Tula Oblasts, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed. As in previous incidents, Russian officials accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attacks.

This escalation follows a significant drone strike on Moscow on Nov. 10, reported by Reuters, involving at least 34 drones — the largest such attack on the Russian capital since the war began in 2022.