Ukraine drone attack deep into Russian territory: Defence Ministry

Moscow: Ukraine attacked Russian targets with a total of 25 combat drones overnight, according to the Defence Ministry in Moscow, with one drone said to have reached deep into the Russian Caucasus.

The Russian ministry said the drones were intercepted in the border regions of Rostov, Bryansk and Belgorod, as well as in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a village church in his region was damaged.

Russian officials did not report any deaths or injuries.

A Ukrainian drone also apparently penetrated the republic of North Ossetia in Russia's Caucasus. Sergey Menyaylo, the region's leader, said the target was a military airfield.

Local media said this was the first time since the start of the war that a Ukrainian drone had made it to North Ossetia, which is located far from the front line.

Whether all Ukrainian drones were actually shot down by Russian air defences could not be independently verified. As a practice, the Russian Defence Ministry does not provide any information about drones that hit their target.