Ukraine Fires More Than 1,000 Drones At Russia In Largest Ever Attack On Moscow

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones toward Russia in a major overnight attack, including hundreds targeting Moscow, according to Russian officials. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the operation as the largest drone attack the Russian capital has faced since the war began.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down a total of 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia, Russian occupied Crimea and the Black Sea. The attack took place overnight Saturday into Sunday as Russia reached the final day of its parliamentary elections.

Two Killed In Moscow Region

The attack killed two people and injured 20 others across the wider Moscow region, according to regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov.

The two people killed were a 74 year old man and a 44 year old woman.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were destroyed while heading toward the Russian capital.

The large scale attack also damaged a residential building and the Moscow Oil Refinery, one of the facilities supplying the Russian capital.

Moscow Oil Refinery Damaged

Flames and smoke were reported at the Moscow Oil Refinery in the southeast of the city following the Ukrainian attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine used different missiles and drones during the operation, including domestically produced Flamingo and Pelican missiles.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine targeted Russian oil and logistics facilities as part of an effort to put financial pressure on Russia's ability to continue the war.

Ukraine has increasingly used domestically produced long range drones and missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia during the war.

Long Range Attacks Increase

The latest attack comes as Russia and Ukraine continue exchanging long range drone and missile strikes.

Fighting continues along a front line stretching roughly 1,250 kilometres across eastern and southern Ukraine. Large numbers of drones and ground robots have made troop movements increasingly difficult in several areas.

Ukraine has developed a major domestic drone industry since Russia launched its full scale invasion more than four years ago and has increasingly used long range systems for attacks inside Russia.

Russia Also Attacks Ukraine

Russian attacks on Ukraine also continued during the weekend.

According to Zelenskyy, a Russian drone strike hit a monastery in Ukraine's Kherson region on Saturday, killing a member of the clergy and injuring four other people.

A separate Russian attack in the Kyiv region killed two children and their mother on Saturday evening, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv regional state administration.

Another child who was injured in the same attack later died in hospital on Sunday.

Attack Comes During Russian Election

The Ukrainian drone operation took place on the final day of Russia's parliamentary election.

Russia also conducted voting in four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed but does not fully control, as well as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Ukraine and much of the international community reject Russia's claims over these territories.

Moscow Mayor Sobyanin said the drone attack was an attempt to disrupt the election and said it had failed to do so.

In a Russian controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson region, a Ukrainian attack killed a member of a local electoral committee, according to Russia's Central Election Commission.

Zelenskyy And Trump Plan Meeting

The developments also came as diplomatic efforts surrounding the war continued.

Zelenskyy said he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday.

According to Zelenskyy, the two agreed to meet the following week during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The planned meeting comes as Ukraine continues seeking international support while Russia and Ukraine remain engaged in military operations across the front line and increasingly carry out long range attacks against targets far from the main battlefield.

More Than 1,100 Drones Reported Downed

Russia's Defense Ministry ultimately reported that 1,110 Ukrainian drones were shot down across Russia, Russian occupied Crimea and over the Black Sea.

The scale of the operation marked a major increase in Ukraine's long range drone campaign, while Moscow authorities described the attack on the Russian capital as unprecedented.

The latest strikes show how drones and long range weapons continue to play an increasingly important role in the war, affecting areas hundreds of kilometres away from the main front line.