MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russian air defense systems downed 88 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight, the Defense Ministry reported.

"In the period from 8:00 p.m. on March 8 to 7:00 a.m. on March 9 on-duty air defense capabilities intercepted and destroyed 88 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV): 52 UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod Region, 13 UAVs over the territory of the Lupetsk Region, nine UAVs over the territory of the Rostov Region, eight UAVs over the territory of the Voronezh Region, three UAVs over the territory of the Astrakhan Region, and one UAV over each of the territories of the Krasnodar Region, the Ryazan Region, and the Kursk Region," the ministry said.