MOSCOW, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia has shot down 72 Ukrainian drones and other projectiles over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
Russian air defense systems intercepted nine U.S.-made HIMARS rockets, one Neptune long-range cruise missile, and 72 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the ministry said in a statement.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod Region, said the region continued to face heavy drone attacks over the past day. Ukrainian forces targeted 12 municipal districts with about 130 UAVs, killing one civilian and injuring three others, he said.
Gladkov also said that 52 settlements came under Ukrainian fire during the same period. At least 34 projectiles were launched, and 129 UAV attacks were recorded, with 45 of the drones shot down or neutralized over the region. ■