On the night of February 6, Russian air defense systems intercepted the canopies of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Belgorod region, according to statements from the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The ministry noted that Ukrainian forces attempted to conduct a terrorist operation against Russian territory using aircraft-type drones. It added that all drones were neutralized by Russian air defense systems during the incident.
Earlier, Vadim Astafyev, head of the press center for the South group of forces, said that air defense and electronic warfare units reportedly shot down 16 Ukrainian unmanned aircraft. The downed drones were reported near the settlements of Novomikhailovka and Mayorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
In early February, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that air defense systems and aviation had shot down 20 Ukrainian air targets during a week, including aircraft and guided missiles, as part of ongoing efforts to counter Ukrainian drone and missile activity.
There has also been mention of a new drone suppression system being developed in Russia, aimed at reducing the effectiveness of unmanned aerial systems in current regional conflicts and security operations.