ISTANBUL

Russia and Ukraine on Thursday reported large-scale overnight drone and missile attacks, with Moscow saying its forces downed 102 Ukrainian drones, while Kyiv claimed to have neutralized nearly 600 incoming air targets.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defense systems destroyed 102 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday over several regions, including Rostov, Samara, Krasnodar, Volgograd, Voronezh, Saratov, Crimea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov.

Officials said debris from downed drones caused a fire at a locomotive depot in Volgograd, temporarily halting train traffic, and damaged residential property in Rostov, where more than 50 houses were evacuated.

Ukraine’s Air Force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 629 aerial weapons overnight, including Shahed drones, Iskander and Dagger ballistic missiles, and Kh-101 cruise missiles.

Of these, 589 were intercepted or suppressed, according to Kyiv, though strikes were reported in 13 locations across the country.

“Air defense forces neutralized 563 Shahed-type drones and simulator UAVs, along with ballistic and cruise missiles,” the Air Force said on Telegram.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its retaliatory strikes targeted “exclusively military facilities and enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.”

The exchange of claims underscores the intensifying drone and missile warfare, with both sides reporting large-scale aerial attacks in recent days amid stalled frontlines.