Russia, Ukraine launch record numbers of drones in overnight attacks

As President-elect Donald Trump reportedly spoke with both Russia and Ukraine’s president, the war between the two countries rages on. A record number of drone strikes were launched over the weekend. 

Ukraine launched its largest attack on Moscow since the start of the war, striking Russia’s capital late Saturday night, Nov. 9, into early Sunday, Nov. 10. Russia said a total of 34 drones were launched in Moscow’s direction, but all of them were shot down.  Five people were injured in the Moscow region, Russia’s defense ministry said.

“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using airplane-type drones on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the ministry said.

The attack prompted “temporary restrictions” at multiple airports serving the Moscow region. Russia’s federal air transport agency said the airports of Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky diverted at least 36 flights, but then resumed operations.

That attack came after Ukraine said Russia launched a total of 145 drones Saturday night, the most ever in a single night-time attack during the war. Ukraine said its defenses shot down more than 60 of the drones, while others left Ukrainian airspace.

Reuters and The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Trump spoke with Putin last week. However, on Monday, Nov. 11, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no such call had taken place.

“This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it’s just false information,” Peskov  told reporters. “There was no conversation.”

“This is the most obvious example of the quality of the information that is being published now, sometimes even in fairly reputable publications,” he said.

Peskov said “there are no concrete plans yet” for Putin to contact Trump.