rki.news

MOSCOW, October 17, 2025 – Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Friday that its air defense systems destroyed 61 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two that were intercepted over the Moscow region.
According to the ministry’s statement, the drone attacks occurred between 11 p.m. on October 16 and 7 a.m. on October 17. It said the unmanned aerial vehicles were fixed-wing types and were intercepted across several regions.
Of the total drones downed, 32 were destroyed over Crimea and 13 over the Rostov region, the statement added.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency temporarily imposed flight restrictions at multiple airports overnight as a precautionary measure, lifting them by Friday morning. The restrictions caused delays to more than a dozen flights in the southern city of Sochi, while one aircraft was diverted to another airport.
The ministry did not report any casualties or damage on the ground. It said air defense systems continue to operate at full readiness to repel further drone incursions.