Russia said it intercepted at least 143 Ukrainian drones from Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon, with several flying near Moscow.
This marked Ukraine’s largest drone assault on Russian territory since July 11, when 167 drones were launched.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported drones were shot down across 11 regions, including annexed Crimea. At least three drones were destroyed as they neared the Moscow region.
Temporary flight restrictions were put in place at several airports, including those in Moscow, Kaluga, and St. Petersburg.
In Moscow, emergency crews were sent to the drone wreckage sites. In the Voronezh region, a drone crashed into a residential building, injuring three people.
In the Belgorod region, local officials said three people died and 17 were wounded in drone strikes spanning Wednesday and Thursday.
One person was hurt in Smolensk, near the Belarus border, and in Kaluga, a drone hit a home, injuring a teenage girl with glass fragments.
At the same time, Ukraine reported 64 Russian drones launched into its airspace.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down or disabled 41 of them. The remaining 23 hit targets in five areas.
In Donetsk’s Dobropillia city, the death toll from a Russian airstrike rose to four, with 27 others injured. The attack struck a shopping center.
July has seen increased drone activity from both sides, as international ceasefire efforts stall.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face new sanctions.
According to Russian figures, over 1,500 Ukrainian drones have been downed so far in July, averaging 90 per day. In June, the daily average was slightly lower at 79 drones per day.