Moscow hit by largest Ukrainian drone attack since full-scale war began

Moscow has been targeted by the largest Ukrainian drone attack since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, with close to 200 drones striking targets across the Russian capital and surrounding regions. The assault created thick columns of smoke visible across the city and caused significant damage to critical infrastructure and civilian areas. Seventeen people were wounded in the Moscow region according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov, while an additional fatality was reported in the southern Rostov region following a strike on an oil depot.

The Kapotnya refinery in south-east Moscow was hit for the third time in a month and the second time within the week, with fires engulfing the facility and nearby civilian infrastructure including a shopping centre. Video footage showed the lid of a large oil storage tank blown dozens of metres into the air by the force of explosions. Moscow's four airports were temporarily shut down, resulting in the cancellation or delay of more than 500 flights. Several residential high-rise blocks were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Russia's defence ministry reported intercepting and destroying nearly 1,000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles within 24 hours across the country. However, the sheer scale of the Ukrainian attack demonstrated that some systems penetrated Moscow's extensive air defences, which have been significantly expanded since Ukraine first successfully conducted drone strikes on the capital in spring 2023. Ukrainian tactics included deploying reconnaissance and decoy drones to map air defence density before launching main strikes.

President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized the assault as retaliation for Russia's attack on Kyiv the previous week, which damaged a major religious landmark. He stated that Ukraine does not seek war but warned that if Russian aggression continues, Moscow will face similar consequences. Using the euphemism "long-range sanctions" for Ukrainian strikes, Zelensky called for Russia to pursue diplomatic solutions to end the conflict. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha emphasized Russia's responsibility, noting that the country initiated aggression and must end it.

The attack reflects Ukraine's broader strategy of "bringing the war home" to ordinary Russians by targeting key infrastructure far from the front lines, approximately 500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Meanwhile, Russia conducted its own overnight offensive, launching more than 200 drones and multiple ballistic missiles at Ukrainian targets. President Vladimir Putin, attending a southeast Asian leaders summit in Kazan, made no public comment on the large-scale attack on the Russian capital, despite local authorities across Russia banning the publication of images documenting the damage.