In a significant escalation of drone warfare, Russia reported shooting down 13 Ukrainian drones across five regions overnight on July 16, 2024. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that nine drones were destroyed over the Rostov region, with one each over Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh, and the Black Sea near Crimea. This large-scale drone attack resulted in a fire at a factory producing electrical devices in Korenevo, Kursk region, though no workers were injured.The attacks also caused damage in the Belgorod region, where Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that Ukrainian forces had attacked over 40 times in a day, using 29 shells and 46 drones, resulting in three civilian casualties. In the Zaporizhia region, Russian forces claimed to have destroyed 12 Ukrainian military positions overnight, with no civilian casualties reported.On the Ukrainian side, the General Staff of the Armed Forces reported inflicting significant losses on Russian forces, claiming 1,110 Russian casualties in the past 24 hours, bringing the total estimated Russian losses since February 2022 to approximately 561,400 personnel. The Ukrainian military also reported destroying a Russian drone over the Dnipropetrovsk region.As the conflict intensifies, both sides continue to report ongoing attacks and counterattacks across various regions. The increased use of drone warfare and the high number of reported casualties underscore the escalating nature of the conflict, with civilian infrastructure increasingly caught in the crossfire.
Key points
- Russia reports shooting down 13 Ukrainian drones across five regions overnight.
- Ukraine claims to have inflicted 1,110 Russian casualties in the past 24 hours.
- Both sides report ongoing attacks and counterattacks, with civilian infrastructure increasingly affected.
Contradictions👾While Russian sources claim successful interception of all Ukrainian drones, Ukrainian sources report successful strikes on Russian territory, suggesting potential discrepancies in reporting or effectiveness of air defense systems.
