MOSCOW, Jan 20, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Russia on Monday said it had shot down 31 
Ukrainian drones which mainly targeted industrial sites.

Both Kyiv and Moscow have been trying to secure the upper hand in the 
conflict ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. 
Trump has said he wants to end the Ukraine war soon.

"Last night, anti-air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian 
drones," Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram.

"There was an attempted attack by enemy drones" to target "industrial 
enterprises" in Tatarstan, about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the 
Ukrainian border, the regional government said.

"All the drones were neutralised. There were no victims or damage," it said, 
without elaborating.

In the Kaluga region flanking Moscow, debris from a downed drone sparked a 
fire at a business but it was quickly put out, regional governor Vladislav 
Shapsha said.

In the region of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine, 14 drones were neutralised, 
regional governor Alexander Bogomaz said, adding that Kyiv had also fired 
four HIMARS missiles.