RUSSIAN air defences intercepted and destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones overnight, including two over the city of Moscow and nine over the surrounding Moscow region, the defence ministry said today.

Forty-six drones were shot down over the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops are advancing into Russia. A further 34 were shot over the Bryansk region, 28 over the Voronezh region, and 14 over the Belgorod region, all of which border Ukraine.

Drones were also shot down deeper into Russia, including one each in the Tver region, north west of Moscow, and the Ivanovo region, north-east of the Russian capital.