Moscow and its surrounding region were targeted in what appears to be the most significant drone assault on the Russian capital since the onset of the Ukraine war. According to Russian officials, at least one person was killed, and three others were injured in the overnight attack, which struck multiple locations, including the towns of Vidnoye and Domodedovo.
Regional Governor Andrei Vorobyev confirmed that the strike damaged seven apartments in a residential building. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 74 drones headed toward the capital were intercepted, though debris from one of the downed drones damaged a building’s roof. Sobyanin described the impact as “insignificant,” but authorities evacuated 12 residents, including three children, due to safety concerns.
Following the attack, major disruptions ensued. A district train network was suspended, and strict flight restrictions were imposed at Moscow’s primary airports—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—along with airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions. These transport hubs serve millions of passengers annually. However, operations at Sheremetyevo Airport have since resumed, according to Russian media reports.
In a statement, Russia’s defense ministry claimed that a total of 337 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed across Moscow and nine other Russian regions, including Kursk. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported Russian drone attacks targeting Kyiv and other regions. Ukraine’s air force claimed to have shot down 79 out of 126 drones launched by Russia, in addition to a ballistic Iskander-M missile. Another 35 drones were likely neutralized through electronic warfare countermeasures.
Ukraine has yet to comment publicly on the attack.
The drone assault occurred just hours before crucial diplomatic discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This meeting marks the first official dialogue between the two nations since a tense exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump last month. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Ukraine might have to cede territory to Russia as part of a peace deal, emphasizing that “there’s no military solution to this situation.”
The ongoing drone warfare signals a continued escalation in hostilities, with both nations intensifying aerial assaults amid stalled diplomatic efforts.
