Ukrainian Drone Attack on Moscow: A Major Escalation
On Sunday morning, Russia reported that its air defense systems successfully intercepted a significant wave of Ukrainian drones targeting the suburbs of Moscow. This operation, characterized by the Russian authorities as a “massive” assault, resulted in at least one injury and led to the temporary suspension of flights at three regional airports.
Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, took to Telegram to announce that a total of 32 drones had been shot down over the suburban areas of Domodedovo, Ramenskoye, and Kolomna. This incident marks one of the largest drone attacks on the capital since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022. The Russian Defense Ministry later reported that 34 drones were intercepted above Moscow during this coordinated strike.
The governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, labeled the drone offensive as “massive” and confirmed that a 52-year-old woman sustained serious injuries, including burns to her face, neck, and hands, necessitating hospitalization.
In response to the drone threat, operations at three major regional airports—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky—were temporarily halted for several hours. This disruption was not just limited to Moscow, as the drone attack also had implications for other regions in western Russia.
According to the Defense Ministry’s statement, a total of 70 Ukrainian drones were neutralized across six Russian regions on the same day, highlighting the scale of the ongoing conflict. As of yet, the Ukrainian military has not issued any statements regarding the drone attacks reported by Russian officials.
In addition to the incidents around Moscow, local authorities reported that another 23 drones were shot down in the border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk, areas that have become accustomed to drone strikes. Further drone activity was noted in the western regions of Kaluga and Tula.
