Moscow: The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that its air defense forces shot down 35 Ukrainian drones overnight in several southwestern regions of the country.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the ministry stated, "Russian air defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed 35 drones launched by Ukrainian forces, as part of an ongoing escalation of drone attacks targeting Russian territories near the border."

The statement further noted that "Ukrainian forces continue to launch near-daily drone and missile attacks on southwestern Russia, while the Russian army maintains its advance on all fronts."