MOSCOW, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that Russian air defense systems shot down 145 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight, including dozens targeting the Moscow region.
Between 11 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday (2000 GMT Sunday and 0500 GMT Monday), a total of 53 drones were intercepted over the Moscow region, including 46 heading toward the capital, the ministry said. Another 38 drones were downed over the border region of Bryansk.
Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of Moscow, said that over the past two days, air defense forces had destroyed about 250 Ukrainian drones approaching the city and at a second defensive line in its direction.
Flight restrictions were repeatedly introduced and lifted at several Moscow airports during the period, according to the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency. ■