The Russian military claims to have neutralized seven of its own drones mid-flight over Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, following an order from President Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
This directive apparently came shortly after a phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a statement from Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The drones, originally targeting energy facilities linked to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, were downed by Russian air defenses—six by Pantsir missile systems and one by a fighter jet.
While the exact timing of the Putin-Trump conversation remains unspecified, the Kremlin described it as a detailed exchange focused on reducing hostilities, raising questions about whether this marks a shift in Russia’s military strategy or a temporary gesture tied to broader negotiations.
The Russian Defense Ministry framed the neutralization of the drones as a direct response to Putin’s command, emphasizing that the targets were energy sites in Mykolaiv, a southern region critical to Ukraine’s industrial output.
Ukrainian officials have yet to confirm the specifics of the intended targets, but the area has been a frequent focus of Russian strikes aimed at disrupting power supplies and military logistics.
The ministry’s statement noted that the decision to shoot down the drones came after they were already airborne, suggesting a rapid shift in orders that caught operational units off guard.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later reinforced this narrative, telling reporters that Putin’s directive was “immediately implemented” and that information about the cessation of energy strikes was “widely available.” Peskov declined to elaborate on the details of the Trump-Putin call, leaving room for speculation about its influence on the Kremlin’s actions.
The Russian statement alleges that this decision followed negotiations between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, though there is no confirmation of this.
Ukraine’s General Staff, Air Force, and other official sources have not confirmed the Russian claims. Military sources have also not verified that Russian forces shot down their own Shahed-type loitering munitions.
Ukraine’s military reported that the actual scale of the attack was far greater. In the early hours of March 19, Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, four S-300 surface-to-air missiles, and an unprecedented 145 Shahed-type attack drones and various decoy UAVs. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 72 of the drones, but many still penetrated deep into Ukrainian airspace, with 45 targeting the Kyiv region alone.
The attack was launched from multiple locations, including Bryansk, Oryol, Shatalovo, Kursk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia. The Ukrainian government reported widespread damage to energy facilities, transportation networks, and hospitals, further crippling civilian infrastructure.
Sources: Defence Blog; MILITARNYI; Bulgarian Military