Russia Says It Downed 1,214 Ukrainian Drones in Overnight Attack, Surpassing Previous Tally
Key Facts
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight from October 28 to 29, in one of the largest attacks Kyiv said it had launched. The total exceeds the tally of 1,110 drones Moscow said it downed on September 20, according to the Associated Press. The agency quoted Moscow’s mayor as saying about half of the drones reported by the ministry were headed for the capital region. The mayor said 613 drones were headed for the region overnight. Reuters quoted the mayor as saying Russia downed most of those drones, while the figures announced by Russian authorities remain military claims.
Russian authorities imposed temporary flight restrictions overnight at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports. According to Rosaviatsiya records cited by Airports.ru, restrictions at all three airports were lifted at 06:46 Moscow time on October 29. Temporary airspace restrictions covered 21 airports across the country that day, the site said. The report said 515 flights were delayed when it was prepared, while 46 were canceled. The figures point to wider disruption to air traffic than the restrictions affecting the three Moscow-area airports.
Separate reports described incidents in two Russian industrial regions, with sources differing on the damage. In Novomoskovsk in the Tula region, the governor said drone debris damaged a residential building, private homes and infrastructure in the neighboring industrial zone. The governor did not mention damage to the Azot plant, according to the Daily Beast, which cited his statement. In Bashkortostan, an analysis published by the Kyiv Post of images and videos attributed to the Astra site showed smoke rising from a site belonging to Bashkir Soda after reports of an attack. The report did not specify the extent of damage to the plant.
The reported attacks on Russian territory coincided with Russian strikes in Ukraine, according to the sources. Reuters said Russia attacked Kharkiv, quoting its mayor as saying the attack damaged an educational institution. In Dnipro, a Russian jet-powered drone struck two passenger trains at a station on October 29, according to officials cited by the Associated Press. The attack killed 14 people and wounded 14 others, the agency said. Separately, the Associated Press reported that a local ceasefire around Oleshky continued for a third day, with humanitarian aid to the city expected to begin on Friday.