Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that air defense systems had shot down 11 Ukrainian drones over regions in the western part of the country.
“Tonight, the Kyiv regime attempted to commit terrorist attacks against structures on Russian territory using drones,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“Air defense systems intercepted and destroyed drones over the regions of Belgorod and Kursk,” it added, noting that five aircraft had been downed in those attacks.
Shortly after, the Defense Ministry reported that four more drones had been shot down over the western Belgorod and Voronezh regions.
In recent months, Ukraine has increased the number of drone and artillery strikes on Russian territory, mainly targeting border regions, but also Moscow, and more recently St. Petersburg.
The deadliest such attack occurred in the city of Belgorod on Dec. 30, when 25 people were killed and around 100 others injured.
Ukraine’s spy chief on Thursday said Kyiv’s forces were planning to step up their attacks on Russian infrastructure.