A firefighter walks among papers and broken glass outside a damaged office block of the Moscow International Business Center (Moskva City) following a reported drone attack in Moscow on July 30, 2023 (AFP)

Russia reported shooting down six drones in the Kaluga region, situated less than 200 kilometers from Moscow, in response to a surge of drone attacks targeting the capital city.

The Russian defense ministry stated that it successfully thwarted a "terrorist attack with drones" in Kaluga.

Vyacheslav Shapsha, the regional governor, confirmed that anti-air defense systems intercepted and destroyed the six drones attempting to cross the Kaluga region, causing no casualties.

"This night, six drones trying to cross the Kaluga region, were shot down with anti-air defence systems," said regional governor Vyacheslav Shapsha said on Telegram.

This incident came after Russia downed Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, Crimea, and Black Sea vessels, with a Moscow skyscraper being hit for the second time. Russia had previously threatened to intensify strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure in response to drone attacks on its territory, which they attributed to Kiev.

It is worth noting that Kiev has increased the amount of long-range missile and drone attacks against Russian cities and drones, coinciding with a failed counteroffensive on the frontline. Ukraine is suffering huge losses both in the air and on the ground as Ukrainian armed forces entrap themselves in minefields and artillery ambushes, losing essential Western equipment and vehicles.

The Washington Post has lately estimated that Ukraine's drone losses are around 10,000 drones a month, citing a UK-based think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, which gave the ten thousand estimate, contradicting Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who told the WP that Russian forces are bringing down only 1,000 drones a month.

In the month of July alone, Ukraine lost 20,824 soldiers and 2,227 pieces of military equipment, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday before a meeting with the defense ministry's leadership.

"Over the past month, as a result of the successful activities of our troops, the losses of the enemy amounted to more than 20,800 servicemen, to be exact, 20,824 people, and 2,227 pieces of various weapons," Shoigu said, adding that Kiev sustained the loss of an additional10 Leopard tanks.