Russia says it downs 59 Ukrainian drones, including two heading towards Moscow

(Reuters) -Russia’s air defence units destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two heading towards Moscow, Russia’s defence ministry said on Monday.

Forty-five drones were destroyed over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, the ministry said on its Telegram messaging app.

In addition to the two downed over the Moscow region, drones were also destroyed over the Kursk, Belgorod and Tula regions, the ministry said.

“According to preliminary information, there is no damage or casualties at the site of the fall of the debris,” Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.

Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Bryansk region, said on Telegram that all drones that Ukraine launched targeting the region were destroyed.

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv has often said that its drone attacks inside Russia target infrastructure key to Moscow’s war efforts and are in response to Russia’s continued strikes on Ukraine.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Kim Coghill and Sonali Paul)