The Russian Defense Ministry declared on Thursday that it had neutralized 14 Ukrainian drones overnight in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, which are situated along the Ukraine border, as reported by the French Press Agency.
This announcement comes amid an uptick in drone attacks targeting Russian territory in the days leading up to the presidential elections scheduled in Russia from March 15 to 17, where President Vladimir Putin is anticipated to secure another six-year term.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said, “Overnight, attempts by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist attacks using drones against locations on Russian soil were thwarted.”
The statement further detailed that “14 drones were intercepted and destroyed above the Belgorod (11 drones) and Kursk (3 drones) regions.”
This recent event follows a series of drone strikes on Wednesday, where numerous Ukrainian drones targeted Russian areas, particularly energy infrastructure sites.
Since last summer, the Ukrainian military has intensified its drone attacks against Russia, expanding its reach into Russian territory as a countermeasure to Moscow’s assaults on Ukrainian soil.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Russian security services have long possessed information about the presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) advisors in Ukraine.
This statement was made in response to Polish media claims about NATO soldiers being in Ukraine, as reported by Reuters. Polish Foreign Minister stated that the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine “is possible” and commended the French President for not dismissing the idea.
