RUSSIA repelled one of the largest attacks yet by Ukrainian drones since the start of fighting in 2022, Moscow said today. 

The Russians said that they destroyed all of those headed towards the capital.

This came as fears grow that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could spread to Africa.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said it had destroyed 45 Ukrainian drones overnight. It said 11 were destroyed over the Moscow region, 23 over the Bryansk region, six over Belgorod, three over Kaluga and two over Kursk.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said: “This was one of the biggest attempts of all time to attack Moscow using drones.”

He said that strong defences around the capital made it possible to shoot down all the drones before they could hit their intended targets.

Some Russian social media channels shared videos of drones apparently being destroyed by air defence systems.

Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, reported a “mass” attack on his region but that 23 drones were destroyed.

While Ukraine has been bogged down in a land conflict in eastern Europe in which the Russians have been making fast progress, Kiev has also been attacking Russia with drones. 

Ukraine has been accused by the Russians of attacking civilian targets as well as nuclear and other facilities. 

The drone attacks come after Ukrainian forces staged an incursion into Russia's western Kursk region on August 6.

The Tass news agency reported that 31 people had died since Ukraine’s attack, adding that 143 people had suffered injuries, of whom 79 were hospitalised, including four children.

Meanwhile, the governments of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso called on the United Nations security council on Tuesday to take action against Ukraine for supporting terrorism and providing arms to Tuareg insurgent groups in the Sahel region.

In a joint letter, the three condemned Ukraine, and called on the security council “to assume its responsibility regarding Ukraine’s deliberate choice to support terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region.”

The complaint to the UN comes after French media reported that terrorists from Malian separatist groups had received military training in Ukraine. 

This sparked a decision by Mali and Niger to break diplomatic relations with Ukraine earlier this month.

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Senegal on Tuesday to demand the expulsion of Ukrainian ambassador Yuri Pivovarov, who they accuse of openly supporting a recent attack against the Malian army in the Tinzawatene region by rebel groups.