ISTANBUL 

Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 70 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight, the country’s Defense Ministry claimed on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said 27 drones were shot down over the Rostov region, 25 over Volgograd, seven over Astrakhan, five over Voronezh, four over Belgorod, and two over Kursk.

Volgograd Governor Andrey Bocharov described the incident as a “massive attack” by fixed-wing drones, saying most of them were intercepted.

He added that there were no casualties, but debris from downed drones caused small fires at an oil refinery, which were quickly contained.

Bocharov also noted brief power fluctuations in the regional grid but assured that the electricity supply in Volgograd and surrounding municipalities remained fully operational.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the claims.