Ukrainian drone strikes killed four people in Russia overnight as nearly 600 unmanned aerial vehicles targeted multiple regions, authorities said on Sunday, in one of the largest cross-border attacks of the war.
Russia’s defence ministry said air defences intercepted 556 drones overnight and a further 30 after dawn, with interceptions reported across 14 regions, as well as Crimea and areas over the Black and Azov seas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the assault as “entirely justified,” saying it was a response to Russia’s continued attacks on Ukrainian cities. He said the strikes reached the Moscow region, adding that “their state must end its war.”
Russian officials said three people were killed in the Moscow region after drones struck residential properties, while a woman died in a separate incident involving a private home. Moscow regional governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed the casualties.
In the capital, authorities said more than 80 drones were intercepted, injuring 12 people. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said one strike hit a construction site near an oil and gas facility, though refinery operations were not disrupted. Several residential buildings were also damaged.
In the Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border, one person was killed after a drone hit a lorry, local officials said.
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 279 of 287 Russian drones launched overnight, as both sides continued intensive aerial exchanges amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Kyiv said its latest long-range strikes targeted energy infrastructure, including the Moscow oil refinery and other facilities, describing the attacks as part of efforts to weaken Russia’s war resources.
The escalation comes after the expiry of a brief, US-brokered truce earlier in the week, with both sides accusing each other of violations and no progress reported in peace talks.
