Moscow mayor says 340 Ukrainian drones sent towards the capital, most downed

July 14 (Reuters) – Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 340 Ukrainian drones were sent to the area surrounding the capital in a 24-hour period and most were shot down by anti-aircraft units far from the city.

“Most of them were neutralized by air defense forces on the outer approaches,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. “More than 50 enemy UAVs were destroyed on the way to Moscow.”

Ukrainian drones routinely approach the Russian capital, and Sobyanin gives a running account of the numbers intercepted by anti-aircraft units.

Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian infrastructure facilities, mainly linked to the oil industry.

The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday it had carried out drone strikes on the Salavat petrochemical complex in the Urals and the Afipsky refinery in southern Russia. Attacks on oil infrastructure contributed to gasoline shortages across Russia.

Russian forces have stepped up drone and missile attacks on Kiev in recent weeks.

Russia launched a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles on Kiev early Tuesday; This was the fifth attack on the Ukrainian capital this month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the attacks damaged 16 sites in the capital, including a school and a workplace, while city officials reported numerous fires across the city.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Jamie Freed)