Ukrainian drones struck high-rise apartment buildings and parking lots on the outskirts of Moscow early Tuesday, in what both sides described as the most extensive drone assault on the Russian capital since the war began.
The Kremlin condemned the attack, which came just hours before U.S. and Ukrainian officials met for talks in Saudi Arabia. Moscow reported three fatalities, while Kyiv framed the strikes as a call for Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt long-range aerial assaults—something Russia has previously dismissed.
According to Russian authorities, 343 Ukrainian drones were intercepted, though several fell on residential and economic infrastructure. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin labeled it the “most massive enemy drone attack” on the city to date.
At one impact site, reporters observed shattered windows, debris, and damage to upper floors of an apartment complex. Witnesses described scenes of panic, with one resident recalling how “all the neighbors jumped out” in fear after the explosions.
The attacks prompted brief airport closures in Moscow, and a village in the Vladimir region was evacuated following the downing of two drones. Russia’s investigative committee has launched a criminal probe, branding the incident a “terrorist attack.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials signaled that the strike should push Putin toward a ceasefire in the air. Kyiv is reportedly preparing to present Washington with a partial ceasefire proposal, hoping to secure continued U.S. backing.
On the battlefield, Russia claimed to have recaptured 12 villages in the Kursk region and taken the village of Dachne in eastern Ukraine. Moscow also launched fresh strikes overnight, with Kyiv’s air defenses intercepting drones while a Russian attack on Donetsk killed one and injured four.
AFP
