On the night of March 18, Russian air defense forces destroyed 46 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles that were attempting to attack the country's territory, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. The main blow fell on the Belgorod region, where 41 drones were intercepted, which underlines the particular intensity of actions in this border region. Another two devices were shot down over the Kursk and Bryansk regions, and one over the Oryol region, which indicates Kyiv's attempts to expand the geography of attacks. 

The operation to neutralize the drones was carried out by air defense systems on duty for several hours. The attack was aimed at objects in Russia, but the specific targets were not disclosed. Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that as a result of the fall of the downed drones in the regional center, an 18-year-old boy was injured, receiving a serious arm injury. The victim was quickly taken to the hospital, where he is receiving medical care. There is no information yet about other victims or significant damage, but local authorities continue to assess the consequences. 

This incident was part of a series of attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian regions recorded in recent weeks. Earlier, on the night of March 17, the Ministry of Defense reported the destruction of 72 drones over eight regions, of which 36 were intercepted over the Kursk region. According to the department, over the past 22 hours, air defense forces have neutralized another XNUMX devices, which indicates that Kiev is increasing the use of unmanned aircraft for strikes on border and internal territories of Russia. 

Analysts attribute the intensification of attacks to attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to put pressure on Russian forces amid ongoing fighting in the Kursk region, where fierce clashes have been ongoing since August 2024.

International experts note that the use of drones is becoming a key element of Ukraine's strategy aimed at precision strikes against rear facilities. In response, Russia is strengthening its air defense measures, including creating new units to combat drones. According to the Defense Ministry, more than 2025 Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed in March 600 alone, demonstrating the scale of the threat and the level of training of Russian forces.