"This past night, air defense systems on duty destroyed nine Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said. It said four drones were shot down over the Rostov Region, two over the Bryansk Region, two over Crimea, and one over the Voronezh Region.
Russia has been conducting its special military operation since February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime." According to the president, the ultimate goal of the operation is to completely liberate Donbas and create conditions that guarantee Russia's security: Ukraine must undergo demilitarization and denazification.