Conflict & Security
Russia says 356 Ukrainian drones downed as Moscow mayor reports over 390 inbound
Russia’s defence ministry said 356 Ukrainian drones were downed across more than a dozen regions overnight, while Moscow’s mayor reported that more than 390 had flown towards the capital region.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drones approached the Moscow region between 8:30 pm and 6:30 am, with most intercepted before reaching the city.
He said air defences destroyed 81 drones as they approached Moscow.
The defence ministry later reported a lower nationwide total of 356 drones downed, including aircraft intercepted near the capital. Neither authority explained the apparent discrepancy between the figures.
Moscow regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said drone attacks damaged homes in the town of Chekhov and the village of Vaulovo.
The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, and no casualties were reported in the supplied information.
The attack came hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to meet US President Donald Trump.
Ukraine has increased long-range strikes against Russian energy, logistics and military targets, describing them as retaliation for Moscow’s nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Update
Russia's defence ministry later said 356 Ukrainian drones had been downed over more than a dozen regions, including near Moscow.
Neither the defence ministry nor Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin explained the difference between that figure and Sobyanin's statement that more than 390 drones flew towards the Moscow region.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 07:11:30 UTC.
Update
Sergei Sobyanin said the drones were flying towards the Moscow region between 8:30 pm and 6:30 am.
Sobyanin said most drones were neutralised before reaching the city.
Sobyanin said 81 drones were destroyed as they approached Moscow.
Moscow regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said drone attacks damaged housing in Chekhov and Vaulovo village.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 04:21:01 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The Russian defence ministry and Moscow mayor gave different drone figures, and the discrepancy was not explained.
The extent of damage in Chekhov and Vaulovo was unclear from the supplied report.
The drone counts and damage reports were not independently confirmed in the supplied material.
Source
AFP news report published on .