Russia faces massive Moscow drone attacks, repurposes Soviet aircraft for defence

More than 390 unmanned aerial vehicles entered the Moscow region, with Russian air defenses shooting down 81 of them. The barrage, the most intense since the war began, caused damage in suburbs such as Chekhov, where an apartment building was hit and a fire broke out, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and regional governor Andrei Vorobyov confirmed the incidents and the activation of emergency services.

At the same time, Russian forces are refurbishing decades‑old Soviet Yak‑52 trainer and An‑2 transport aircraft, installing FPV drone‑launch systems to create a low‑cost counter‑measure against hostile drones. These modified planes can release defensive drones directly at approaching threats, reflecting a broader cost‑driven competition in the air‑war between Russia and Ukraine.