At least four individuals lost their lives in what seems to be the most substantial Ukrainian drone attack in months on Moscow and its vicinity, as reported by Russian officials.
The Russian defense ministry disclosed that nearly 600 Ukrainian drones carried out strikes overnight in 14 Russian regions, including the Crimean peninsula, and the Black and Azov seas.
Russian authorities confirmed three fatalities in the Moscow region and one in the Belgorod region, following the downing of 556 drones by Russian air defenses.
One casualty occurred in Khimki, near Moscow, where a woman perished after her house was hit by drones during the extensive strike on the Moscow region, leaving another individual trapped under debris.
Additionally, two men in the village of Pogorelki, north of Moscow, lost their lives due to falling drone debris at a construction site. The attack also caused damage to unspecified infrastructure and several high-rise buildings, as per Governor Andrei Vorobyev’s social media updates.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that in Moscow, around 12 people sustained injuries during the nighttime assaults, mainly close to the entrance of the city’s oil refinery.
Tass state agency stated that Russian defenses intercepted 81 drones en route to Moscow overnight, marking the most significant assault on the capital in over a year.
Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Russia’s largest airport, disclosed that drone remnants fell on its premises without causing any harm.
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had previously announced that more drone strikes would be conducted in response to a deadly three-day Russian offensive across Ukraine.
Military officials characterized the attacks as the most extensive barrage in the conflict. Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s justification in targeting Russia’s oil industry and military production facilities to impede Moscow’s war efforts and hold accountable those responsible for war crimes against Ukraine.
Amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, Ukrainian authorities reported that over 1,500 drones and numerous missiles were launched in successive waves of attacks over three days.
Tragically, a cruise missile struck a nine-story apartment building in Kyiv on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of 24 individuals, including three children.
Ukraine’s air force announced intercepting 279 Russian drones overnight out of a total of 287 launched.
Following the end of a three-day truce last Tuesday, Moscow and Kyiv resumed exchanging attacks, both accusing each other of violations during the marking of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Efforts to resolve the long-standing conflict remain deadlocked, with Kyiv rejecting Moscow’s demands for territory in eastern Donbas, and US focus shifting towards the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.