Russia says it shot down 161 Ukrainian drones in a single day

The Russian Defence Ministry reported that between 08:00 and 20:00 Moscow time its air‑defence forces intercepted and destroyed 161 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of airplane type. The interceptions were recorded over border regions (Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk), central Russian oblasts (Vladimir, Kaluga, Tula, Moscow) and southern areas including Krasnodar Krai, Crimea and the Black Sea. Civilian casualties were confirmed in the Belgorod region, where two people were killed and several houses were damaged. Debris caused fires in residential buildings, a city bus and wheat fields, and temporary flight restrictions were imposed at several Russian airports.

The ministry also highlighted attacks on Russian energy infrastructure: two foreign‑flagged tankers were hit at a Black Sea terminal and oil depots in the Staropol area were struck, with estimated losses to the sector exceeding 60 billion rubles (about $714 million).

Separately, Ukrainian officials said that in the early hours of 20 July Russian forces carried out a massive combined air strike on Ukrainian territory, targeting Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv and Sumy with more than 400 drones. The attacks sparked large fires at logistical sites and oil depots in Russian regions, and Ukrainian air‑defence units reported shortages of Patriot missiles, urging accelerated allied deliveries.