Russia says it shot down almost 400 Ukrainian drones as Moscow and Kyiv escalate aerial barrages

Fire and smoke raises above the city center following Russia's drone attack in Lviv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Mykola Tys)

Russian air defences downed 389 incoming Ukrainian drones, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Wednesday, in what was the largest reported overnight attack on Russian regions and Crimea since Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.

The drones were stopped over 13 Russian regions as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The attack underlined the growing capability of Ukraine’s domestically developed and manufactured long-range drones.

It came a day after Russia fired almost 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at civilian areas of Ukraine in the space of 24 hours, extending its usual nighttime barrage into daylight hours in one of its biggest aerial attacks of the war. At least 6 people were killed and around 50 people were injured, Ukrainian authorities said.

Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region north of Moscow, said 56 drones were shot down there, and a fire broke out in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga as the result of Ukraine’s attack.

Ukrainian forces also carried out a missile strike on the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine overnight, damaging energy infrastructure, its Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Power, water and heating supplies were disrupted, he said.

On Tuesday, Russia fired 948 drones of various types at Ukraine.