Russia air defenses down eight Ukrainian drones over Black Sea near Crimea

The Russian Defense Ministry says the country’s air defenses have shot down eight Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula.

“Overnight to September 10, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using aircraft-type UAVs on facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped,” the ministry was quoted as saying by Russia’s Sputnik news agency on Sunday.

“Air defense systems on duty destroyed eight unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea near the coast of the Republic of Crimea,” the statement added.

The ministry also said that three US-made military speedboats carrying Ukrainian military personnel were destroyed northeast of Snake Island in the Black Sea, falling short of providing details on whether there was any damage or injuries from either incident.

There has been no immediate comment from the Ukrainian military.

Russia began what it called a “special military operation” in Ukraine in February last year, but its territories have come under a series of drone attacks only in recent months.

The Crimean Peninsula, which rejoined Russia back in 2014 after a referendum, has been disrupted by several strikes throughout the war and has seen more frequent attacks during the past several weeks.

The number of drone attacks against Russia has dramatically increased in the past weeks as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at a change in Kiev’s failed tactics.

The Kremlin says the West and NATO are playing a direct role in the Ukraine conflict by pouring advanced weapons and military equipment into the country, warning that NATO weapons are “legitimate targets” for its armed forces.

Moscow has frequently warned that the continued supply of Western arms and military equipment to the Ukrainian military would only prolong the war and add to the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

Russia says downs 11 Ukrainian drones near Crimea, 2 others bound for Moscow

The Russian military says it has managed to down 13 Ukrainian drones near Crimea and Moscow.

Several drones reportedly target Kiev

In a separate development early on Sunday, Ukrainian authorities reported a drone attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and called on people to remain in shelters.

“Air defense system is working in Kiev region and in the capital. More UAVs are moving in the direction of Kiev,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram.

Kiev’s authorities also said Ukrainian air defense forces had downed more than two dozen drones targeting the city overnight.

“Drones entered the capital in groups and from different directions,” Sergiy Popko, head of the Kiev City Military Administration, wrote on Telegram.

“Air defense forces managed to destroy more than two dozen enemy UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),” he said, adding that the exact number would be announced by Ukraine’s air force.

Klitschko said doctors treated a person suffering from an “acute stress attack” after debris fell in an open area in the Podilskyi district.

Debris also fell on the districts of Sviatoshynskyi and Shevchenkivskyi, damaging an apartment in a multi-story building.

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