Russia said it shot down more than 70 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, most of them over the regions of Rostov, Moscow and Bryansk.
The acting governor of Rostov, Yuri Slyusar, said the attack had been massive, affecting areas close to the border with occupied parts of Ukraine. Houses, he said, were damaged by what he said had been falling debris, and several settlements suffered temporary power cuts.
Slyusar said one railway worker had been injured, and rail traffic disrupted. Several supply routes into Ukraine run through the area.
Meanwhile, on the front lines, Russian forces continue to attack one of their key objectives – the town of Pokrovsk in the eastern region of Donetsk.
Late on Friday, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, acknowledged it faced increasing pressure, but insisted its defence was “steadfast”. He said Russia had been trying to get to the city with small groups of soldiers attacking for sabotage and reconnaissance purposes, claiming one such group had been destroyed. Russia has been trying to encircle Pokrovsk for months.