Kiev has stepped up long-range raids as the US pushes for peace talks

Russian air defense forces have shot down over 150 long-range Ukrainian drones in the space of 24 hours, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said Monday.

In a summary of recent anti-drone operations released in the morning, the ministry reported that 96 drones had been intercepted since 8pm Sunday (17:00 GMT). It added that a total of 148 drones were downed in the 22-hour span between 10am Sunday and 8am Monday. The ministry later stated that approximately five more drones were shot down around 8am local time on Monday.

Kiev has escalated efforts to inflict damage deep inside Russia, shifting from nighttime raids to constant waves of kamikaze drones. One drone reportedlystruckthe dome of a cathedral in Russia's Tula Region on Sunday, causing a fire, according to footage and local authorities.

Recent interceptions were filmed by witnesses in multiple parts of Russia. A video from Tatarstan purports to show the air defenses in action near the city of Yelabuga, a significant industrial center.

Another reportedly shows people in Tula reacting to an engagement of Ukrainian drones.

There was similar action over Ramenskoye, a city southeast of Moscow with more than 110,000 residents. The Defense Ministry said it stopped six drones approaching the Russian capital overnight.

Russia last week launched a series of long-range strikes on Ukraine, including one on aplantin Kiev that the Russian Defense Ministry stated was used to produce fixed-wing drones.

US President Donald Trump, who seeks to broker a peace deal in the conflict, criticized both sides in a social media post on Sunday. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "shooting rockets into Kiev" without justification and said rhetoric from Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky was counterproductive, claiming "everything out of his mouth causes problems."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hassuggestedthat Kiev's change in tactics was aimed at undermining direct peace talks with Moscow, which Ukraine agreed to resume earlier this month under pressure from Washington. Lavrov said the sabotage effort was encouraged by "the UK, France, Germany, and the EU leadership."

Following a recent phone call with Putin, Trump reportedly told NATO allies and Zelensky that he would not support additional sanctions on Russia. That decision, according to The Guardian, left European leaders "ranging from despondent to apoplectic."

(RT.com)