Russian air defences down 42 Ukrainian drones, defence ministry says

(Reuters) -Russian air defence units destroyed 42 Ukrainian drones in at least eight southern and central regions on Tuesday evening, including 32 in Bryansk region on the border and two in Moscow region, officials said.

Russia’s Defence Ministry gave the tally of 42 drones, saying they had been destroyed between 9 p.m. and 11.55 p.m. (1800 to 2055 GMT). It gave no details of damage.

The ministry said 32 of the drones had been destroyed in the border region of Bryansk.

Ukraine has long deployed drones over long distances to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, including airfields and sites associated with energy.

But the use of dozens of drones dispatched over a short period of time was unusual.

Bryansk Regional Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported air defences in action in a series of posts on the Telegram messaging app. He reported no casualties or damage.

The Defence Ministry said two drones had been destroyed in Moscow region around the Russian capital, with another downed in Smolensk region, near the border with Belarus.

The ministry also reported one drone downed each in central Oryol region and in the border regions of Rostov and Kursk.

In Voronezh region, another border region further west, Governor Aleksandr Gusev said drones had attacked a plant producing “strictly civilian” goods, triggering a fire. Staff were evacuated and there were no injuries.

The governor of Rostov region, on Ukraine’s eastern border, reported two drones intercepted, while the governor of Kaluga region, further north, said air defences had been in action against drones, without giving details.

In Belgorod Region, opposite northeastern Ukraine, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said several drones had been downed, with no casualties.

Gladkov said falling debris had damaged an industrial plant, infrastructure sites and power lines in the town of Alekseyevka, north of the border.

Electricity was temporarily cut to some districts and emergency crews were on site repairing damage.

Video posted on both Russian and Ukrainian military blogs showed explosions and a fire breaking out in Alekseyevka. One Ukrainian site posted a video of blasts in Voronezh region.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski, Oleskandr Kozhukhar and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Sandra Maler and Stephen Coates)