Russia says its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed about 250 drones launched by Ukraine during a major attack targeting Moscow over the weekend.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drones were shot down in waves as they approached the Russian capital.
In a post on Telegram, Sobyanin said air defence forces had destroyed roughly 250 unmanned aerial vehicles over the past two days as they approached the city or were intercepted on secondary defence lines.
Authorities said the attack prompted temporary flight restrictions at Moscow’s main airports, according to Russia’s aviation watchdog. The restrictions were later lifted once the threat had passed.
No casualties were reported following the attempted strikes.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has increasingly highlighted the growing role of relatively inexpensive long-range drones in modern warfare, capable of striking distant targets such as energy infrastructure and major urban centres at a fraction of the cost of traditional military aircraft.
Since the start of the war, Russia has carried out repeated drone and artillery strikes on Ukrainian territory, while Ukraine has responded with drone attacks and sabotage operations deep inside Russia, targeting oil refineries, pipelines and military personnel.
Sobyanin thanked the Russian armed forces for their response to the latest attack.
Moscow and the surrounding region have a combined population of about 22 million people. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine regarding the reported drone strikes.