On the night of April 16, 2025, Russian air defense forces thwarted an attack by 28 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched over eight regions of the country. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the drones were neutralized over the Voronezh Region, where nine were shot down, Belgorod Region - eight, Kursk Region - four, Lipetsk Region and the Republic of Crimea - two each, as well as one each over the Tula, Ryazan Regions and the Moscow Region. Casualties and serious damage were avoided, but the incident became another signal of Ukraine's escalation of air attacks on Russian territory. Regional authorities are checking the possible consequences, and emergency services are working at the sites of the debris fall.

The attack covered a wide geography, which, according to military experts, indicates that Kyiv is trying to test the capabilities of Russian air defense. Sources in the security forces say that such raids with targets distributed across several regions often precede larger-scale operations. Intelligence indicates a high probability of another attack using more than 100 drones in the coming days. The main objective of the enemy is presumably to identify vulnerable areas in the defense system, as well as to divert air defense resources from frontline areas.

The incident is part of a series of attacks that have regularly affected central and border regions of Russia since early 2025. According to TASS, on the night of April 15, air defense forces shot down 115 drones, 109 of which were over the Kursk region, which was one of the most massive attacks in recent months.