Moscow reports three dead as Ukraine launches massive drone offensive across Russia
The overnight attack, which targeted 14 regions and the capital, comes amid stalled diplomacy and a fresh escalation following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv.
Russian authorities confirmed on Sunday that air defence systems intercepted 556 Ukrainian drones in a coordinated overnight attack, marking one of the largest aerial barrages of the ongoing conflict. The incursions spanned 14 Russian regions, the annexed Crimean peninsula, and the Black and Azov seas, with the area surrounding the capital among the most heavily targeted.
In the Moscow region, the attack resulted in three fatalities and multiple injuries. Governor Andrey Vorobyov reported that a woman was killed when a drone struck a private house, while two men died in separate incidents. One person remained trapped under rubble, and four others were wounded. Infrastructure facilities were also targeted during the early morning assault, which Vorobyov described as a large-scale repelling effort by air defence forces.
Within Moscow city, local authorities intercepted more than 80 drones, resulting in 12 injuries. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that debris damaged three residential buildings and injured construction workers at a site near an oil and gas refinery. However, he noted that production at the refinery had not been disrupted and that damage to the sites where debris fell was minor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterised the strikes as a justified response to daily Russian bombardments, specifically citing a Russian attack on Kyiv on Friday that killed 24 people. Zelensky had previously vowed retaliatory measures, stating that Kyiv’s strategy of targeting military and energy sites within Russia is necessary to strike at Moscow’s ability to finance the war effort.
The escalation follows the expiration of a three-day truce on Tuesday, which marked the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Both sides accused each other of violating the temporary halt in hostilities. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict remain stalled, with Kyiv refusing to accept Moscow’s maximalist demands for territory in the eastern Donbas region.
Talks have further ground to a halt since Washington’s attention shifted to the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February. While the United States has pushed for negotiations, Kyiv’s allies have accused Russia of mocking diplomatic efforts. Moscow, located approximately 400 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, is less frequently targeted than other regions, making this significant escalation in aerial operations near the capital a notable development in the security landscape.
