Russia shoots down 51 Ukrainian drones, warns Kiev cannot operate NATO long-range missiles alone

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on October 27 that it had shot down 51 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in many areas, including near the border.

Russia confirmed that it had disabled many Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). (Source: BNN)

According to a statement on Telegram, the Russian Defense Ministry said 18 UAVs were intercepted in the Tambov region, about 400km from the Ukrainian border, and 16 others were shot down near the border city of Belgorod.

The remaining UAVs were destroyed in the Oryol, Briansk, Lipetsk and Voronezh regions. One was intercepted in the Kursk region, where the Ukrainian army has been conducting a ground offensive since August and now controls several hundred square kilometers of Russian territory.

Russia has announced almost daily the destruction of drones from Ukraine. Kiev claims these attacks, often targeting energy infrastructure, are in response to Russian bombing of Ukrainian territory.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to take "a series of responses" if the US and its NATO allies allow Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory.

In an interview with reporter Pavel Zarubin on October 27, President Putin emphasized: "(The Russian Defense Ministry) is thinking about how to respond to possible long-range attacks on Russian territory. The ministry will come up with a series of responses."

For months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on allies to allow Kiev to use Western missiles, including the US's long-range ATACMS and the UK's Storm Shadows, to strike deep into Russian territory to limit Moscow's ability to launch attacks.

Asked whether NATO countries had listened to his earlier statement that such a move would draw countries supplying long-range missiles to Kiev directly into the war, President Putin replied: "They haven't told me anything yet, but I hope they have heard. Because, of course, we will have to make some decisions ourselves."

President Putin said it was too early to say exactly how, when and where Russia would respond, but Moscow would have to respond accordingly if long-range strikes were allowed. According to Putin, only personnel from NATO countries could operate the specific equipment that Ukraine wanted, as Kiev did not have the necessary specialists.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nga-ban-ha-51-may-bay-khong-nguoi-lai-ukraine-canh-bao-kiev-khong-the-tu-van-hanh-ten-lua-tam-xa-cua-nato-291571.html