Russia says shot down 47 Ukrainian drones

MOSCOW — The Russian army said on Wednesday that it had shot down 47 Ukrainian drones overnight, nearly half of them over the Bryansk border region.

“Air defenses intercepted and destroyed 47 Ukrainian drones,” 24 of them over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, the defense ministry said in a statement.

Around 13 drones were destroyed over the Azov Sea and the rest over regions either bordering or near Ukraine, it said.

Russia reports shooting down Ukrainian drones over its territory on a nearly daily basis.

Kyiv says it is carrying out the strikes, which often target energy sites, in response to Russian bombardments of its territory.

Kyiv has ramped up strikes targeting Russia’s energy sector in recent months, aiming to dent revenues used by Moscow to fund what the Kremlin calls its special military operation in Ukraine, now grinding through its third year.

AN-AFP