Moscow: The Russian Defense Ministry announced Saturday that its air defense systems destroyed 24 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory last night. According to Qatar News Agency, the ministry reported thwarting an attempt by Ukrainian forces to launch an aerial attack using drones targeting sites across Russia. The statement detailed that eight drones were shot down over Kursk, another eight over Bryansk, two over Belgorod, three over Oryol, one over Rostov, one over the Nizhny Novgorod region, and one over the Crimea Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russia began a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with Moscow affirming its commitment to continue until achieving its strategic objectives. The conflict has seen both nations frequently claiming to intercept each other's drones.