Russia says it intercepted 822 Ukrainian drones, 187 over Moscow region

Russia's Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones across the country. The southern Rostov region's governor, Yuri Slyusar, reported that five people were killed in a residential area, while another person died in the Belgorod region. Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov said Russian forces and electronic warfare units shot down and neutralized 187 drones over the region. Vorobyov noted that a warehouse belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries was struck during the overnight attack. While no one was injured in that specific incident, an 83-year-old man was killed in a separate drone strike elsewhere in the Moscow region on Sunday. Wildberries warehouses have been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian forces, alongside Russian energy facilities, residential buildings, civilian vehicles, critical infrastructure, and resorts. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that approximately 600 of the drones launched by Kiev were aimed directly at the Russian capital. In response, Russian forces targeted the Ukrainian capital, launching both missiles and drones at sites in Kiev. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that six people were wounded in the Russian strikes. According to Zelensky, Russian forces have fired more than 1,500 drones, approximately 1,560 guided aerial bombs, and 62 missiles at Ukraine over the past week. Zelensky has framed Ukraine's intensified attacks on Russia as an effort to force Moscow into negotiating a peace deal on Kiev's terms. Moscow, however, condemns these strikes as "terrorist attacks" that have resulted in numerous civilian casualties, emphasizing that Ukrainian assaults have claimed the lives of a multitude of Russian civilians. According to Mehr News Agency, the report highlights the ongoing escalation between the two countries, with both sides suffering casualties and damage.