Moscow Hit by Unusually Large Drone Assault as Russia and Ukraine Trade Deadly Strikes

An unusually large drone attack overnight rattled Russia, forcing air defenses to deal with a mass raid of 301 unmanned aircraft over Russian territory and occupied regions. Moscow was a main target, with swarms heading directly toward the capital and causing panic. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that “almost 60 drones on their way to Moscow were shot down” and that emergency crews were sent to the impact sites.

The attack immediately disrupted aviation, and authorities halted all flights at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports. The strike came only days after Moscow’s only refinery was hit hard, adding to signs that the wider war is increasingly affecting energy infrastructure. In Crimea, the fuel crisis worsened, with sales to civilians and businesses stopped entirely and limited only to security forces and government bodies. In Sevastopol, the situation reportedly deteriorated into a total blackout, and governor Mikhail Razvozhaev urged worried residents to “reduce electricity use.”

At the same time, Russia’s response against Ukraine killed five civilians. The deadliest strike was in the Sumy region, where three generations of one family were killed, a 13-year-old boy, his 36-year-old father and his 73-year-old grandmother, after a direct hit. In Odesa region, a Russian Iskander ballistic missile struck an agricultural facility, setting vehicles and fuel tanks on fire, according to governor Oleh Kiper. One person was killed there.

The naval front also intensified, as Russia targeted Ukrainian trade routes and attacked three civilian cargo ships at sea. The Turkish-owned, Panama-flagged vessel Viktras was badly damaged, and Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said a 58-year-old Egyptian crew member was killed and eight others, including Turkish and Indian citizens, evacuated by lifeboat. He said the ship suffered “significant damage,” while two other vessels were hit but kept sailing without injuries.