Major General Igor Konashenkov, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, reported that Russian air defenses downed 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, including a Bayraktar-TB2. The claim was that the drones were destroyed in several settlements across the Kharkov region and the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Specifically, air defense forces allegedly neutralized drones near Chkalovskoye, Dementyevka, Klinsk, Glubokoye, Balakleya, and Gopotovka in Kharkov, as well as Staromikhaylovka, Spartak, Yelenovka, Petrovenki, and Severodonetsk in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR/LPR) areas. According to Konashenkov, a Bayraktar-TB2 was shot down over the village of Mankovka in the Kharkov region. He added that in the vicinity of Izyum, Semenovka, and Snezhkovka, three rockets from the Smerch multiple launch rocket system were captured by Russian forces. The report also claimed that air-launched missiles struck two ammunition depots and five command posts in the DPR. Separately, a video released by the former Russian Ministry of Defense purportedly shows airborne units in action during the special operation in Ukraine.
Officials emphasized that the incidents occurred during ongoing military activities in the region, underscoring the use of modern air defense systems and long-range artillery in responses to Ukrainian drone incursions. The statements reflect the continuing narrative from Moscow about defense contributions in the conflict, including the interception of unmanned aerial vehicles and the targeting of logistical and command infrastructure in claimed areas. Observers note that independent verification of such battlefield claims is limited, given the restricted access to combat zones and the multiplicity of conflicting reports from the conflict’s front lines. In the broader context, these disclosures contribute to the ongoing information landscape surrounding the war, where both sides frequently publish structured summaries of military actions to shape public perception and morale. [citation: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation attribution]