Russian Air Defense Says Ukrainian Drone Attacks Foiled Near Belgorod and Beyond

Russian air defense forces reported a series of incidents in which they intercepted Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles aimed at targets inside the Russian Federation. The defense ministry stated that a nighttime attempt by the Kyiv regime to strike facilities on Russian soil with aircraft-type drones was halted around 22:00 Moscow time, underscoring that the operation was thwarted by on-duty air defense systems. The ministry added that a Ukrainian UAV was shot down over the Belgorod region, reinforcing the department’s narrative of effective interception and defense readiness. In separate and earlier disclosures, officials described how air defense units successfully prevented an attack using two different models of unmanned aircraft, with interceptions occurring over areas adjacent to the Belgorod region, indicating a pattern of repeated attempts near the border and ongoing vigilance by Russian air defense commands. On a prior occasion, the ministry reported that on March 8, at about 18:30 Moscow time, an attempt by Ukrainian forces to strike targets within the Belgorod region using two unmanned aerial vehicles was foiled, with authorities noting that there were no casualties or damage resulting from the drone activity that day. In another report, local defense authorities conveyed that air defense forces had destroyed an aircraft-type UAV in the Krasnoyarsk region, further illustrating a sequence of border-area drone activity and the continuous readiness of Russian defenses to respond to such threats. These official statements collectively emphasize a recurring focus on protecting critical infrastructure and regional security in the face of drone-based incursions from Ukraine, highlighting the operational posture of Russian air defense units and the emphasis on preventing harm to civilians and facilities along the frontier.