Ukrainian Drone Strikes Expand From 36 to 52 Russian Regions in Seven Months

Ukrainian long-range drones have reached 52 of Russia's regions, marking a steady expansion of their operational range across the country since the start of the year.

The assessment comes from calculations published by the Russian business daily Kommersant on August 3, 2026, drawing on the Russian Defense Ministry's own strike reports.

Over the first seven months of 2026, Russian forces claimed to have shot down 54,500 Ukrainian drones. Kommersant calculated that this averages roughly 7,000 interceptions a month, or more than 260 a day.

The geography of the strikes has widened alongside their intensity. In January, the Russian Defense Ministry reported drone raids across 36 regions; by early July, that figure had climbed to 52, according to the same count.

Russia’s administrative structure comprises 89 federal subjects, including the Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Moscow. Ukrainian drones have been detected over more than half of these regions, with 52 of them being reached.

A map published by Novaya Gazeta Europe, based on publicly reported incidents, illustrates the expanding geography of Ukrainian drone operations inside Russia between January 1 and August 1, 2026.

While most reported strikes remain concentrated in the border regions of Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk, the data also shows attacks reaching far deeper into Russian territory, supporting reports that Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has steadily widened its operational reach.

The Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk regions, along with temporarily occupied Crimea, appear most frequently in the ministry's daily bulletins.

The Moscow region has also featured far more often in recent reports, an indication that strikes are reaching deeper toward Russia's political and economic core.

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Ukraine's own deep-strike campaign has expanded sharply over the same time. By the end of June, missions into Russia's operational and strategic depth had surged 1,150% since January.

Ukrainian operators conducted 2,359 long-range attacks in June alone, striking 172 sites tied to Russia's military-industrial complex and energy infrastructure at ranges of 500 to 2,000 kilometers.

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