Ukraine Launches Biggest Attack On Moscow Since 2022 Invasion

Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow since the start of the full-scale war, with nearly 200 drones targeting areas around the Russian capital.

At least 17 people were injured in the Moscow region, according to regional governor Andrei Vorobyov.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said it intercepted and destroyed almost 1,000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles across the country within 24 hours.

An oil depot in Russia’s southern Rostov Oblast region was hit, leaving one person dead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strikes as “long-range sanctions”, Kyiv’s term for long-distance attacks on Russian territory.

Zelensky said the operation was retaliation for a recent Russian strike on Kyiv that set a major religious landmark on fire.

Fires broke out at the Kapotnya Oil Refinery, which was reportedly hit for the third time in a month and the second time in a week.

A nearby shopping centre also caught fire, reportedly after being struck by falling drone debris, while several residential tower blocks were evacuated.

Moscow’s four airports were temporarily closed, causing more than 500 flight cancellations and delays.
Numerous videos circulated on social media showing drones flying over Moscow and explosions in industrial areas despite restrictions on publishing images of strike damage.

The attacks highlight Ukraine’s strategy of “bringing the war home” to Russia by targeting locations far from the battlefield, including Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Drone strikes on Moscow, about 500km from the Ukrainian border, have become increasingly frequent as Ukraine’s long-range capabilities have expanded.

Russia also carried out large-scale attacks overnight, with Ukraine reporting that more than 200 Russian drones and several ballistic missiles were launched against Ukrainian targets.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha used social media to tell Russians that the attacks were a consequence of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and urged them to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin when the war would end.

More: BBC News