Moscow: In a significant overnight operation, Russia’s military reported intercepting 158 Ukrainian drones across nearly a dozen regions and over the Black Sea. The attacks appeared to focus on military infrastructure deep inside Russian territory, with several governors confirming strikes on or near military sites.
In the Orenburg region, located north of Kazakhstan and far from the Ukrainian border, Governor Yevgeny Solntsev stated that air defenses successfully thwarted an attack on a military airfield. While the Defense Ministry did not list Orenburg in its official briefing, independent outlet Astra identified the target as the Orenburg-2 base, situated roughly 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine.
In North Ossetia, drone debris struck an unoccupied building in the Mozdoksky district, according to Governor Sergei Menyaylo. Astra reported that the strike was aimed at a military airfield near Mozdok, which houses advanced aircraft including MiG-31K fighters armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and Tu-22M3 bombers. This base had previously been targeted by Ukrainian forces in June.
Meanwhile, in the Penza region, southeast of Moscow, Governor Oleg Melnichenko confirmed drone activity in the Serdobsky district, though no damage or injuries were reported. Astra highlighted the district as the site of a weapons arsenal attacked last October.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed drone interceptions in the Krasnodar, Rostov, Voronezh, and Kursk regions, as well as in North Ossetia. Smaller numbers were reportedly downed in Belgorod, Penza, Saratov, Oryol, and Stavropol regions, as well as over Crimea and the waters of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, the scale and depth of these drone strikes mark one of the most extensive long-range Ukrainian aerial operations on record.
