Ukraine launches what appears to be one of its largest drone attacks against Russia: report

Ukraine launched a significant nighttime drone attack targeting a dozen Russian regions, Crimea, and surrounding seas, which Russia's Ministry of Defense reported as one of Ukraine's largest since the full-scale invasion. Russian air defenses claimed to intercept 660 Ukrainian drones, with Moscow reporting 47 drones downed near the capital. Separately, Ukraine's air force stated their defenses stopped 174 of 189 Russian drones, though four ballistic missiles breached defenses. Amidst the ongoing conflict, both Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange, with 160 individuals from each side returning home. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the release of 160 Ukrainian service members, many of whom had been held captive since 2022.

Russia reported downing 660 Ukrainian drones overnight, characterizing it as one of Kyiv's largest long-range strike campaigns. These attacks, targeting energy infrastructure deep within Russia and Crimea, have caused fuel shortages and strained Russian air defenses. In response to the drone barrage, Russian-installed authorities in Crimea declared a state of emergency, admitting the military cannot fully protect the peninsula. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused Russia of pressuring Belarus to build military infrastructure near the Ukrainian border for potential aggression, a claim Russia and Belarus deny. Belarus insists it has no intention of fighting Ukraine and seeks an agreement, while warning Kyiv against attempting to draw it into the conflict.

Russia reported intercepting 660 Ukrainian drones in a significant nighttime attack targeting 12 Russian regions and annexed Crimea, marking one of the largest such assaults since the full-scale invasion. This escalation follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's order for an "influence operation" aimed at pressuring Russia to end the war. Reports indicate damage to a private house and an industrial facility in the Tula region, with unverified reports of a chemical plant fire. Moscow stated it downed 47 drones approaching the capital. Meanwhile, Ukraine reported two civilians killed and seven injured in Russian attacks on the Kharkiv region.

Iran is accused of supplying attack drones, specifically the Mohajer-6, to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan's ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023. These drones are reportedly being used indiscriminately against civilians, contributing to a conflict that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and the world's largest displacement crisis. The U.S. State Department has expressed concern over the proliferation of drone warfare and its impact on civilians. Evidence suggests ongoing transfers, with an Iranian national arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly brokering a $70 million deal to supply these systems to Sudan's Ministry of Defense. Both the SAF and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are increasingly employing drones against the civilian population.