On January 24, Russian air defenses successfully repelled a significant Ukrainian drone attack overnight, intercepting and destroying 121 drones aimed at 13 regions, including Moscow, as stated by Russia's Defense Ministry. The ministry did not mention any casualties or damage.
Specifically, six drones were taken down over the Moscow region, with one over the capital city itself. Other areas, such as those bordering Ukraine, Kursk, and Ryazan southeast of Moscow, were also targeted. Unverified videos on the Telegram messaging app depicted bloggers in Ryazan describing large fires, allegedly caused by attacks on an oil storage depot and a power station there.
Concurrently, Ukraine's air force reported repelling a Russian drone assault, managing to shoot down 25 out of 58 drones launched during the night. Unfortunately, two men and a woman in the central Kyiv region were killed by falling drone debris, while another person was injured.
Regarding the aftermath of Ukraine's drone attacks, Andriy Kovalenko from Ukraine's center for countering disinformation mentioned on Telegram that an oil refinery in Ryazan and the Kremniy plant in Bryansk, which produces microelectronics for Russian weaponry, were targeted. Although Reuters couldn't verify these claims, Russian media sources noted the temporary suspension of operations at the Kremniy plant and the cleanup in progress after drone fragments hit a factory.
The Ryazan regional governor, Pavel Malkov, informed via Telegram that emergency services were actively dealing with the situation. Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin detailed on Telegram that Ukrainian drone attacks were thwarted at multiple locations around the Russian capital, with no damage or casualties reported where drone fragments fell.
In Kursk, Mayor Igor Kutsak noted damage to power lines and an electricity cut in one city district due to the overnight assault. Additionally, the Defense Ministry mentioned drone destruction in border regions such as Bryansk, Belgorod, the Crimean Peninsula, Saratov, Rostov, Voronezh, Tula, Oryol, and Lipetsk. The operation at two Moscow airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, was temporarily suspended, with redirected flights to other airports amidst the security measures.