Moscow Mayor: Russia shot down 84 drones approaching the capital.

Images of a drone attack in Moscow were posted on June 18. (Source: China News Service/Reuters)

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on June 22 that Russian air defenses repelled another Ukrainian drone attack overnight, with 84 drones intercepted as they approached the capital.

Sobyanin wrote on Telegram that rescue and emergency response forces are currently working in areas where debris has fallen.

“Over the past 24 hours, another enemy drone attack has been thwarted. In the approach to Moscow alone, air defenses shot down 84 drones. No damage or casualties have been reported so far.”, he said.

During the attack, the Russian civil aviation authority temporarily imposed restrictions on flight operations at several airports serving the Moscow region. Authorities have not yet released information on casualties or significant damage.

In another development, officials in the Crimean region announced a temporary suspension of children's admissions to summer camps and wellness resorts until the end of the summer for security reasons.

Commenting on recent developments, Russian MP Alexey Pushkov stated that Western countries have entered a new phase in their confrontation with Russia, evidenced by the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine and allowing Kyiv to use their airspace to launch attacks on Russian territory.

In another development on the battlefield, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces had advanced deep into Ukrainian defenses in Kostiantynivka, and stated that Russian troops had planted their flag in a newly controlled part of the city. Ukraine has not yet commented on these statements.

Drone attacks targeting Moscow and other parts of Russia have increased recently, since the conflict began in 2022. Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv was targeting Russia's energy infrastructure because this sector plays a particularly crucial role in the economy.