Overnight, Ukraine sent a large number of drones against Russia, with well over 1,000 of those aircraft targeted at Moscow itself. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, called the attack the “largest ever” on the Russian capital.
A Moscow oil refinery and a residential building were hit. Across the wider Moscow region, two people died and 20 were hurt. The dead included a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, according to local Governor Andrei Vorobyov.
The strike came as Russia held its parliamentary elections, wrapping up their third and final day. Kyiv’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv used a range of missiles and drones in the attack, including Ukraine’s Flamingo and Pelican missiles, targeting oil and logistics facilities.
Zelenskyy’s Words
Zelenskyy said “These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine,” referring to financial pressure on Russia’s economy. The attack was called an attempt to disrupt the vote.
Sobyanin said “The enemy failed in this regard.” The election stands as the first parliamentary voting to take place in wartime for Russia, and it comes with scarcely any opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s policies.
The Scale of the Attack
Moscow’s mayor said 450 drones were destroyed en route to the city. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it shot down 1,100 Ukrainian drones across the country, including over Crimea and the Black Sea.
Overnight, Ukrainian forces launched more than 1,000 drones, with hundreds of them headed for Moscow. Sobyanin described the assault as the “largest ever” on the Russian capital.
The Fight on the Ground
The war in eastern and southern Ukraine has slowed in the past few days, with troops finding it harder to move along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line. The cause is large numbers of drones and ground robots that threaten troop movements.
Long-range drones made in Ukraine, paired with missiles, have been deployed since the invasion by Russia, giving the nation a leading role in military drone technology on the world stage.
The Election Backdrop
The election was the first parliamentary vote Russia held during a war, and no real opposition existed to President Vladimir Putin’s policies. Russia was also holding the vote in the four Ukrainian regions it had seized and in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Kyiv has denounced the annexed region voting as illegal.
| Event | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Drone launch | Ukraine to Russia | More than 1,000 drones, hundreds toward Moscow |
| Vote start | Russia | Parliamentary elections |
| Vote end | Russia | Proceeded to final day |
| Damage reported | Moscow | Oil refinery, residential building |
| Two killed, 20 wounded | Moscow region | Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported |
The Human Cost
Governor Andrei Vorobyov said two people had been killed and 20 wounded in the wider Moscow region. The victims included a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman.
The Aftermath
Sobyanin said “The enemy failed in this regard.” The attack did not stop the vote.
Sobyanin’s remark, “The enemy failed in this regard.”, was an effort to upset the parliamentary elections in Russia. Those elections were winding up their third and final day.
The campaign targeted Russian oil and logistics infrastructure on a huge scale. Ukraine has built itself into a world leader in military drone technology, using both domestically produced long-range drones and missiles.
This parliamentary election took place during wartime in Russia, and there was scarcely any opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s policies. Additionally, Russia held the vote in the four Ukrainian regions it had illegally annexed and in Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014.
Kyiv has denounced the annexed region voting as illegal.
The sheer number of drones involved set this attack apart. Over 1,000 were launched, with hundreds of them targeted at Moscow, where Sobyanin described it as the “largest ever” on the Russian capital.
On the day the election concluded, Sobyanin said “The enemy failed in this regard.”.
Sobyanin described the assault as an effort to throw off Russia’s parliamentary elections, which were nearing their third and final day. His remark, “The enemy failed in this regard.”, came in response to the incident.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs none of the parties here, and it has nothing to say about the strike itself save this: it is against war, and it is for peace, and for the channels of trade, diplomacy and compromise that make peace possible. The dead, a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, died because of this war, not a fair fight.
The scale of the attack is staggering and the loss of life is real, but the paper’s position on foreign affairs is fixed: stay focused at home, keep the channels open for trade, diplomacy and compromise, and avoid foreign entanglements and trade wars alike.
The paper would want this war to end. It would want both sides to sit down and talk, not fire a thousand drones at each other’s capitals. It would want the channels of trade, diplomacy and compromise to remain open, so that peace can be made possible once again.
Source material: “Ukraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia, including hundreds launched at Moscow,” NPR.
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