The Russian Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that Russian air defense systems shot down on Tuesday 54 Ukrainian drones over the southwestern provinces of the country.

"Russian defenses shot down 27 Ukrainian drones over Kursk province, 16 over Bryansk province, 7 over Smolensk province, 3 over Belgorod province, and one another over Oryol province”, RT quoted the ministry as saying in a statement on Wednesday.

On an almost daily basis, Kiev’s forces continue targeting the border areas in southwestern Russia with drones and missiles, resulting in civilian casualties.