Russian air defenses said they intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones during a nighttime strike that hit 12 Russian regions, the annexed Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea and the Azov ...
Russian air defenses said they intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones during a nighttime strike that hit 12 Russian regions, the annexed Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The attack is one of the most extensive drone operations conducted by Ukraine against Russian territory and Crimea since the full‑scale invasion began more than four years ago, exceeding the 556 drones reported on May 17. Ukrainian long‑range drones have in recent months targeted oil production and energy facilities behind the front lines, aiming to affect fuel supplies and military deliveries, according to Western officials and analysts. Russian officials did not specify targets or damage details. In the Tula region, a private house was damaged and a woman was reported wounded, and a power line and an industrial site in Novomoskovsk were cited by local authorities. An online outlet reported fires at a chemical plant and a hydroelectric plant in Novomoskovsk; the Associated Press could not independently verify those reports. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 47 drones were downed near the capital, with no reported casualties or damage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation was part of a broader effort to encourage Russia to end the war, a strategy he said could be reinforced by forthcoming G7 and NATO meetings that may provide additional foreign support. Ukrainian officials reported two civilian deaths and seven injuries from Russian attacks in the Kharkiv region over the previous 24 hours, which involved guided aerial bombs and drones. The Ukrainian air force said it intercepted 174 of 189 Russian drones and that four of seven Iskander‑M ballistic missiles reached their targets. The scale of the drone campaign has been highlighted by analysts as a development that may influence the course of the conflict, with a NATO summit scheduled for next month potentially affecting military support and diplomatic negotiations.
- Publisher
- ap
- Reliability
- high
- Published
- 6/26/2026, 1:00:17 PM
- Retrieved
- 6/26/2026, 1:00:17 PM
- Relevance
- 80%
- Confidence
- 85%

