Mon Feb 17 07:47:01 UTC 2025: ## Russia Claims to Down 90 Ukrainian Drones Amidst Calls for Peace Talks
**Moscow, February 17, 2025** – Russia’s defense ministry reported today that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 90 Ukrainian drones overnight, with no reported casualties. The drones targeted eight regions, including a significant number over the Sea of Azov, Krasnodar, and Crimea. The ministry’s Telegram post stated that the interception occurred without causing any casualties.
This comes as the Ukrainian military reported launching 147 drones in an overnight attack, with their air force claiming to have shot down 83 and attributing the failure of 59 others to reach their targets to electronic countermeasures.
The drone attacks occur amidst ongoing calls for urgent peace talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the nearly three-year-old conflict in Ukraine, sparked by Russia’s initial offensive. While President Trump has expressed belief in President Putin’s desire to end the fighting, his administration has also warned NATO allies that Europe will no longer be the top security priority for the United States.
First Piper 