On July 20 (Moscow time), according to TASS news agency, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that more than 400 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had headed towards Moscow region between the evening of July 19 and the early morning of July 20, forcing Russian air defense forces to deploy widespread interceptions.
According to Mr. Sobyanin, from 8:30 PM on July 19 to 5:00 AM on July 20 (Moscow time), the Russian air defense system detected hundreds of UAVs flying towards the Moscow region.
More than 400 enemy UAVs have headed towards the Moscow region. Most of them have been intercepted by air defense systems from a distance," Mr. Sobyanin wrote on the official Max channel.
The Mayor of Moscow added that 85 UAVs were shot down while approaching the capital, thereby preventing the risk of these devices entering the city's airspace.
According to the Russian side, interception from a long distance significantly reduces the risk of UAVs approaching residential areas and important targets in the capital area. However, Mr. Sobyanin did not specifically disclose the location where the UAVs were shot down or the type of air defense equipment used.
Moscow authorities have also not provided information about damage to infrastructure or casualties related to the attack. Functional forces are continuing to inspect the scene in areas where UAV debris fell.
In recent months, Moscow and its vicinity have continuously become targets of UAV attacks. Russia said the attacks target infrastructure and civilian areas, while Ukraine rarely commented directly on specific incidents.
The use of long-range UAVs is increasingly becoming an important part of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Both sides are increasing the development and deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles to serve reconnaissance, attack and destroy enemy military infrastructure.
The latest announcement by the Mayor of Moscow was made in the context of Russia continuing to tighten air defense measures around the capital and key areas to cope with the risk of large-scale UAV attacks.
