The Russian Defense Ministry said on the Telegram messaging site at 05:00 (03:00 in Lisbon) that “a Ukrainian attack was repelled with three unmanned aerial devices (…) in the Kaluga region.”
“All the drones were detected and destroyed in time by Russian air defense systems,” the ministry said, adding that there were no casualties or property damage in the attack.
Local governor Vladislav Sapsa said in a telegram that the drones were neutral in the “southern region” of Kaluga.
Drone attacks on Russian-controlled territories have increased in recent weeks, targeting Moscow and the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by the Russians in 2014.
This is the fifth time Russia has said it has shot down drones in the Kaluga region since earlier this month, the latest being recorded on Saturday.
In late July and early August, drones were able to strike Moscow, a business district west of the Russian capital, causing damage to the facades of two office towers.
In May, two drones were shot down over the Kremlin, the seat of the Russian government.
In recent weeks, naval drones have also attacked Russian ships on several occasions, including an oil tanker.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on July 30 that “the war is gradually returning to Russia’s borders, to its identification centers and military bases”.
“It is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process”, he said.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, but Ukrainian forces launched a second counteroffensive in June after receiving new weapons from Western allies.
Kiev officials have acknowledged that the counteroffensive has been slow and with modest results.
In addition to military support, Western allies have enacted economic sanctions against Russian interests, attempting to limit Moscow’s ability to finance the war effort.
The death toll in the conflict is unknown, but many sources, including the UN, say it could be higher.