Ukraine launches multiple drone attacks in Russia

Eleven Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Crimea Peninsula early Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"On Sept. 14, at about 5.30 Moscow time (0230GMT), an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an aircraft-type UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped. On-duty air defense destroyed 11 unmanned aerial vehicles," said a ministry statement.

Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula has been under Russian control since 2014, when it was illegally annexed by Moscow.

Another attack on the Black Sea Fleet also was foiled when Ukraine’s armed forces tried to sink the patrol ship Sergey Kotov with five unmanned boats, which were destroyed, it added.

The ministry also said four drone attacks were repelled in Russia's Bryansk region bordering Ukraine.

Drone strikes inside Russia have dramatically increased in recent months, notably in Moscow and in Russian regions bordering Ukraine, with authorities accusing Ukraine of being behind them.

Although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in July that the attacks on Russian territory are an “inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process.”