(Reuters) – Russia’s defence ministry said late on Thursday that air defence units had downed 17 Ukrainian drones in four southern regions in a period of just over two hours.
A ministry statement said 11 of the 17 drones were downed between 7:50 p.m. and 10 p.m. Moscow time (1650 GMT and 1900 GMT) over the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces hold a chunk of territory since staging a cross-border incursion last August.
The ministry’s post on Telegram said other drones had been downed in Belgorod and Voronezh regions and in the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014.
The ministry made no mention of damage or casualties on the ground.
The governor of Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev, said “several” drones had been downed over his region on the Ukrainian border. Gusev said there had been no injuries or damage
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Sandra Maler)
