Russia claims to have shot down over 20 Ukrainian drones in an hour and a half
The Kremlin and the Russian Defense Ministry have spread information about an alleged large-scale hacking of drones from Ukraine, claiming that their air defenses destroyed over twenty drones in a short time. According to the Russian military, between 21:15 and 22:40 Moscow time, 22 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down and intercepted on the territory of Russia and occupied Crimea, which, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, came from Ukraine. The source reports that Russian air defense systems operated effectively during the specified period, destroying 12 drones in the Belgorod region - a region that constantly suffers from attacks by Ukrainian military drones. Also, according to the Russian department, four more drones were shot down in Tatarstan, two in the Ulyanovsk region. In addition, the list also included territories of other regions - in particular, one drone was shot down in the Belgorod, Saratov and Bryansk regions of Russia. Representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry add that the shock wave also hit drones flying to targets in the occupied Crimea. The Russian military emphasizes the low reaction time and effectiveness of its air defense systems, describing this as a success. However, in Kyiv and other Ukrainian offices of the leadership emphasize: such statements by the Russian military are a form of information propaganda and an attempt to create the illusion of success against the background of no less significant difficulties in the air defense system of the aggressor country. Ukrainian military and analysts remind that the fight against drones is included in the list of main tasks of the Ukrainian defense, and efforts in this direction continue using various technologies and means. At the same time, what exactly is happening behind the front line and during the day and night remains the subject of a difficult struggle at the information and real levels. Given this situation, we can conclude that the shelling of Ukrainian drones in Russian regions is a fragment of a larger and more intense confrontation, which has been going on for several years and is being complicated by new technological challenges and information manipulations.