Russian military officials claimed a large-scale armed “week”: purportedly, their air defense systems shot down over 40 Ukrainian drones in three hours
According to official representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, this clash occurred on June 11, and during this period, Russian forces allegedly destroyed simultaneously 44 Ukrainian UAVs flying within Russian territory and occupied Crimea. As reported by the official Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Defense, from 21:00 on June 11 until midnight Moscow time, Russian air defense systems intensified and successfully shot down 44 Ukrainian drones operating within two Russian regions and the occupied Crimean Peninsula. An official representative of the Russian defense department states: "From 21:00 on June 11 to 00:00 on June 12, the air defense forces destroyed 44 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles belonging to the aircraft drone type." According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the majority of Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Belgorod region: 38 UAVs were destroyed there. Additionally, four drones were shot down over the Bryansk region, and two over the territory of occupied Crimea. The report emphasizes that Ukrainian drones operated in three zones, attempting to attack and breach Russian airspace. These statements from Moscow are part of a systemic information campaign promoting the idea of significant damage inflicted on Ukrainian drones and aim to bolster internal morale. Russian officials provide no details regarding the types of drones, their origins, or the exact launch sites. However, activists and Ukrainian sources deny any significant accumulation of drones during this period. Ukraine has not yet commented on this particular information. Meanwhile, experts emphasize that such claims may be part of psychological warfare and attempts by Moscow to demonstrate to its internal audience its "effectiveness" in countering Ukrainian drones and to prevent panic among the population. The publicity surrounding these events refocuses attention on the security challenges facing Ukraine and Russia. Despite Ukrainian forces continuing to actively use drones for reconnaissance and target elimination in occupied and border territories, official Moscow continues to produce reports about supposed "successes" of its air defenses, trying to create the illusion of control and superiority in the airspace. At present, the true picture remains uncertain: independent sources and the Ukrainian side deny the scale and effectiveness of the Russian claims, while the situation remains tense. All parties are awaiting further developments on the front lines and in the airspace.