Russia says record 1,214 Ukrainian drones struck 20 regions overnight
15:06, 29/10/2026, Thursday
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The Russian Defense Ministry reported that 1,214 Ukrainian drones targeted 20 regions overnight in the largest such attack of the war, as Moscow authorities confirmed the capital region faced 613 UAVs and civil aviation authorities imposed temporary flight restrictions at multiple airports.
Largest drone wave of war
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that its air defense systems intercepted 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles targeting 20 regions across the country during the overnight hours. The figure surpasses the previous record of 1,110 drones reported on September 20, marking the most extensive unmanned aerial assault since the conflict began. "During the past night, air defense duty forces intercepted and destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.
Capital region targeted
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that the capital region faced 613 drones during the same period, with the majority eliminated before reaching the city. "Most of them were neutralized by Defense Ministry air defenses on distant approaches," he said on the Russian social media platform Max. Sobyanin noted that 231 drones were destroyed specifically on the approach to Moscow.
Aviation disruptions
Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, imposed temporary restrictions on arrivals and departures at Moscow's Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports to ensure flight safety, later lifting the measures. Two aircraft flying from Istanbul to Moscow turned back mid-flight and returned to Istanbul due to the restrictions at Vnukovo, according to a source in air traffic control services who spoke to the TASS news agency. Restrictions were also imposed at airports in 18 other Russian cities, while Ukraine has not issued a statement regarding the Russian claims, which could not be independently verified amid the ongoing conflict.
