Local officials report that a “massive” overnight drone attack on Moscow and its surrounding region has resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals, with three others sustaining injuries.
In a significant escalation of hostilities, seven apartments within a residential building sustained damage, marking what seems to be the most extensive drone assault on the Russian capital by Ukraine since the onset of the conflict.
According to Regional Governor Andrei Vorobyev, the casualties occurred in Vidnoye and Domodedovo’s towns just outside the capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 74 drones approaching the city were intercepted and destroyed. Drone wreckage damaged a building’s roof, but Sobyanin characterised the impact as “insignificant.”
According to reports, a total of 12 individuals, among them three children, were forced to evacuate their damaged apartments following the overnight attack.
Following the recent attack, the district train network has been suspended, and flight restrictions have been implemented at Moscow’s airports.
Governor Vorobyev took to social media to share images that allegedly depict a damaged flat and charred vehicles in what appears to be a car park located in the Moscow region.
The assault occurred mere hours before a pivotal meeting involving delegates from the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia aimed at finding a resolution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The discussions in Jeddah between Ukrainian representatives and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mark the first formal engagement following last month’s heated confrontation at the White House involving Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
On Monday, Rubio proposed that Ukraine might need to cede territory to Russia as part of a potential agreement to end the conflict. He emphasised that both parties must recognise that “there’s no military solution to this situation.”
In the aftermath of the strikes, Moscow’s four primary airports—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—saw the implementation of flight restrictions. This measure also extended to airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions. These transport hubs serve as critical nodes for millions of travellers annually.
According to Russian media reports, flights have resumed at Sheremetyevo Airport, as confirmed by the aviation regulator.
In a statement released later, Russia’s defence ministry reported that a total of 337 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed overnight across Moscow and nine other regions, including Kursk.
There has been no public statement from Ukraine regarding the recent attack.
Ukrainian officials have confirmed that overnight, Russian drone attacks targeted the capital city of Kyiv along with several other regions.
Ukraine’s air force reported that it successfully intercepted 79 out of 126 drones launched by Russia, in addition to a ballistic Iskander-M missile.
It was reported that an additional 35 drones probably did not reach their intended targets due to electronic warfare countermeasures, although the status of the remaining 12 in terms of target impact remains uncertain.
The situation remains uncertain regarding potential casualties.
