Russia Reports Destroying 31 Ukrainian Drones in Six-Hour Period on June 23

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during a six-hour period on June 23, according to the country's Defense Ministry. The attacks occurred between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Moscow time, with air defense systems engaging fixed-wing drones across multiple regions including Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Tula, Krasnodar, and Stavropol, as well as over Crimea, the Republic of Abkhazia, and the Black Sea.

The afternoon intercepts were part of a broader air defense operation. Later in the evening, Russian systems reported destroying an additional 143 Ukrainian drones across nine regions and two seas, including the Azov and Black Sea. The expanded operation covered Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Rostov, Astrakhan, Stavropol, and Krasnodar regions, as well as Crimea and Adygea.

On the same day, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu stated that measures to counter drone attacks were receiving attention from the presidency, the Defense Ministry, regional governors, and industrial enterprises. He indicated ongoing efforts to develop new air defense systems and establish additional defensive perimeters against unmanned aerial threats, characterizing the work as substantial and coordinated across government and military sectors.