"During the past night, from 20:00 Moscow time [17:00 GMT] on May 1 to 8:00 Moscow time [05:00 GMT] on May 2, air defense alert systems intercepted and destroyed 215 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Novgorod, Oryol, Pskov, Rostov, Smolensk, Tver, Tula regions, as well as over the Azov Sea and the Black Sea," the statement read.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously noted that Ukrainian forces are sending hundreds of drones to strike Russian territory. He emphasized that the Kiev regime is deliberately targeting civilians in the regions, attacking civilian infrastructure and transport, including ambulances and agricultural machinery. The head of state described the methods used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Kiev's foreign mercenaries as terrorist.