Ukraine launched a significant drone offensive against Russia overnight, targeting over 1,000 locations, including Moscow. This attack, described by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin as the largest on the Russian capital, resulted in damage to the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building. In the surrounding Moscow region, local authorities reported two fatalities and 20 injuries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the operation used drones and domestically manufactured weapons aimed at oil and logistics facilities supporting Russia’s wartime economy. The escalation in long-range drone strikes marks a continuation of hostilities between the two nations, with infrastructure and military-related sites increasingly in the crosshairs.
Mayor Sobyanin noted that around 450 drones were intercepted before reaching Moscow, accusing Ukraine of attempting to influence Russia’s parliamentary elections. The elections, concluding on the same day as the drone strikes, were held in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, leading Kyiv to denounce the voting as illegitimate.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, a total of 1,110 Ukrainian drones were destroyed across Russia, including Crimea and the Black Sea region. The ongoing drone warfare underscores the intensifying conflict as both countries continue to target strategic assets far from the frontline.