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Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia, with hundreds targeting Moscow in one of the war’s largest aerial assaults.
The Associated Press reported that Ukraine fired more than 1,000 drones during the attack, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian forces had intercepted and shot down more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including 450 that were heading toward Moscow. The figures reflect different Russian and Ukrainian reporting parameters and could not be independently reconciled.
The massive wave came as Russia entered the final day of its parliamentary elections. Russian authorities reported that drones reached the Moscow oil refinery, damaging part of the facility, while other strikes damaged residential buildings. At least two people were killed in the wider Moscow region, with Russian officials also reporting injuries and evacuations.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the assault as unprecedented and accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the elections. Ukraine has not publicly accepted responsibility for the specific attacks, although President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s long-range strikes had a significant impact in the Moscow region.
The scale of the reported attack underscores the growing use of long-range drones by Ukraine against targets deep inside Russia. The Moscow oil refinery, one of the country’s major fuel facilities, has previously been targeted in Ukrainian strikes.
Sources: Associated Press; Reuters; Al Jazeera; BBC; The Guardian.