Ukraine launches largest drone and missile attack on Moscow since 2022

Moscow faced its most extensive Ukrainian strike since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, with nearly 200 drones targeting the capital and air defences intercepting close to 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles and four cruise missiles within 24 hours. Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the destruction of these drones and missiles launched from Ukrainian territory.

The attack caused significant disruption in Moscow, leading to temporary closures at four airports and over 500 cancelled or delayed flights. Fires broke out across the city, including at the Kapotnya oil refinery in southeast Moscow, which was hit for the third time in a month and the second time this week. Plumes of black smoke were visible across the capital. Videos shared on social media captured dramatic scenes, including the lid of a large oil storage tank being hurled into the air by a powerful explosion. A nearby shopping centre caught fire after debris reportedly fell on it, and several residential buildings were evacuated. Local officials reported 17 injuries in the Moscow region, while an oil depot in Russia’s southern Rostov region was also struck, resulting in one fatality.

Despite efforts by Russian authorities to limit coverage of the strikes, banning the publication of images from affected areas, videos showing drones and explosions were widely circulated online. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the operation as a response to a recent Russian assault on Kyiv that damaged a major religious landmark. He framed the strikes as “long-range sanctions” aimed at pressuring Moscow to pursue diplomacy, warning, “If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too.”

The scale of this operation highlights Ukraine’s growing long-range strike capabilities, which have evolved significantly since the first drone incursions into Moscow in spring 2023. Unlike earlier sporadic attacks, this latest wave involved hundreds of drones deployed in a coordinated manner to overwhelm Russian air defences and penetrate deep into its territory, approximately 500 km from the Ukrainian border. Analysts note that Ukraine’s advancements in producing lower-cost drones, coupled with sophisticated attack strategies, have increased the chances of successful strikes despite Moscow’s fortified air defence systems.

The escalation reflects Kyiv’s strategy of targeting Russian military sites, energy infrastructure, and logistics hubs to “bring the war home” to Russian citizens and undermine domestic support for the Kremlin’s policies. While much of the fighting remains concentrated along front lines within Ukraine, these cross-border strikes are becoming a key feature of the conflict.

Russia has continued its own attacks on Ukraine, with Kyiv reporting over 200 drones and multiple ballistic missiles launched in a separate overnight barrage. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was hosting Southeast Asian leaders at a summit in Kazan, had not publicly commented on the large-scale attack on Moscow at the time of reporting. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha urged ordinary Muscovites to question their leaders about the consequences of the war, warning of further escalation and damage to civilian infrastructure far from the front lines.