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Russia Says Repelled Wave of Ukrainian Drones Targeting Moscow, Annexed Crimea

Kozachya Bay, Sevastopol. Olga Loboda (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Russia's Defense Ministry said early on Thursday it had downed 11 Ukrainian drones near Crimea overnight, as well as two drones flying toward the capital Moscow.

"Two unmanned aerial vehicles flying in the direction of Moscow were destroyed," the ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. 

It also said two Ukrainian drones were shot down near the city of Sevastopol in annexed Crimea, and "another 9 were suppressed by means of electronic warfare and crashed in the Black Sea."

The ministry added that there were no reports of damage or casualties in any of the affected areas.

The strikes come a day after Russia said two Ukrainian combat drones headed for Moscow were shot down, and represent at least the fourth attack near the capital over the past week.

Until a series of attacks in recent months, Moscow had not been targeted during the war in Ukraine.

The Crimean peninsula, however, has been disrupted by several strikes throughout the conflict and has seen more frequent attacks in recent weeks.

Russia said Saturday it had downed a drone over the ocean near Sevastopol, the base of its Black Sea fleet.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last month that "war" was coming to Russia, with the country's "symbolic centers and military bases" becoming targets.

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