Russia Claims Destruction of 220 Ukrainian Drones in Nine-Hour Period

Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 6:45 PM

Russian defense officials reported intercepting 220 Ukrainian drones during a nine-hour timeframe on Thursday. The ministry stated that 24 of those drones were targeting Moscow, with many others aimed at central Russian regions.

Russian defense officials announced Thursday that their air defense systems destroyed 220 Ukrainian drones during a nine-hour span, with two dozen of those aircraft reportedly targeting the capital city.

According to the Defense Ministry’s most recent update, 53 drone aircraft were shot down during a three-hour window that concluded at 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT).

Central Russian territories bore the brunt of the drone activity, with defense officials reporting that a dozen of the unmanned aircraft had Moscow as their intended destination.

Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, posted on the Telegram messaging platform that 27 drones approaching the city were eliminated, with the defensive operations beginning around 5 p.m.

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