Kiev [Ukraine], March 12: The Russian military announced that it shot down 337 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) early yesterday morning, which is considered the largest Ukrainian UAV attack on Russian territory in more than 3 years of conflict.
According to TASS, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it shot down 91 UAVs around the capital Moscow and 126 in the Kursk region. The attack killed at least 2 people and injured more than 10 in Russia. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the UAV attack on Moscow had been stopped. Several airports and railway stations in Moscow had to be temporarily closed to ensure safety. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that 10 provinces in the country were hit by a series of UAVs from Kyiv.
The Kremlin condemned the attack. Meanwhile, AFP quoted Andriy Kovalenko, director of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation , as saying that the airstrikes sent a signal that Russia should consider a ceasefire in the air. Hours after Russia announced the drone attack, the Ukrainian military said Moscow had launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile and more than 100 drones at several regions in Ukraine on March 11. Ukrainian air defense forces said they had shot down the missile and 79 drones, neutralizing 35 drones with electronic warfare capabilities, according to Reuters. In Ukraine's Odessa region, the attack set a fuel depot on fire. Previously, Ukraine accused Russia of airstrikes on the capital Kyiv on March 10. Moscow did not respond to Ukraine's statements.
Using first-person view (FPV) UAVs has been considered the main attack method of Russia and Ukraine in recent times. On March 10, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced plans to purchase 4.5 million FPVs this year, double that of last year and expected to cost more than 2.6 billion USD.
The scale of the Ukrainian airstrikes has increased ahead of talks between US and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia on March 11 to find a solution to the conflict. This is a high-level meeting expected between representatives of Kyiv and Washington, following a tense visit to the US by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the Ukrainian leader had sent a letter of apology to Mr. Trump after the exchange of words at the White House on February 28.
In Saudi Arabia, Kyiv may propose a partial ceasefire plan to Moscow, partly hoping that the March 11 meeting can restore US support. According to The Kyiv Independent, the Ukrainian government has made it clear that the talks will focus on protecting the interests of the Ukrainian people, outlining a clear vision for ending the conflict. President Zelensky affirmed that Ukraine is ready to sign a mineral agreement with the US, although US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this was not the focus of the discussion. Mr. Rubio said that Ukraine must accept that it cannot take back the territories that Russia has controlled, and that Russia must also make concessions so that the two sides can achieve positive results in peace negotiations.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
