The Russian defense ministry announced on Thursday that they had successfully shot down 11 Ukrainian drones that had entered Russian airspace during the night.
“This night, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to commit a terrorist attack with aerial drones against sites on Russian territory was foiled,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Air defences intercepted and destroyed drones over the regions of Belgorod (four drones) and Kursk (one drone)”, it said.
At approximately 0330 GMT, it was reported that four additional drones were shot down in the Belgorod region, while two were shot down in the Voronezh region.
Ukraine has been enduring continuous aerial attacks from Russian forces for nearly two years and has sought assistance from Western allies to strengthen its defense systems.
The bombings have resulted in an estimated death toll of thousands. In recent months, Ukraine has escalated its drone attacks on Russian territory, primarily focusing on border regions but also targeting the capital city of Moscow and the northern city of Saint Petersburg.
The most devastating attack took place in Belgorod on December 30, resulting in the loss of 25 lives, around 100 injuries, and the evacuation of several hundred individuals.
