In an unprecedented escalation, Ukraine launched a massive drone attack against Russia, targeting key sites across the country including the capital, Moscow. The overnight offensive, described by Moscow’s mayor as the largest of its kind on the city, resulted in damage to the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building. Local authorities reported two fatalities and 20 injuries in the wider Moscow region.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the operation involved over 1,000 drones and domestically manufactured weapons focusing on oil and logistics facilities integral to Russia’s military capabilities. Zelensky emphasized the strategic importance of these targets to Russia’s war effort.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that approximately 450 drones were intercepted before reaching the capital, accusing Ukraine of attempting to disrupt Russia’s parliamentary elections. Concurrently, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the destruction of 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia, Crimea, and the Black Sea region.
The timing of the attack coincided with the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections, which were conducted in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, a move Kyiv has dismissed as illegitimate. The drone strikes underscore the intensifying exchange of long-range attacks between the two nations, with both sides increasingly targeting infrastructure and military installations far from the front lines.