According to the ministry, the drones were detected across several regions as air-defense alert systems were activated in response to what it described as a large-scale Ukrainian UAV strike attempt.
“Over the past night, air defense alert systems intercepted and destroyed 77 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs): 42 UAVs over the Saratov Region, 12 UAVs over the Rostov Region, 10 UAVs over the Republic of Crimea, nine UAVs over the Volgograd Region, two UAVs over the Belgorod Region, and one UAV each over the Astrakhan Region and the Chechen Republic,” the statement said.