Ukraine hits Moscow with 200 drones in largest attack
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- Ukraine launched close to 200 drones at Moscow in its largest attack on the Russian capital since the start of the full-scale war, with Russia's defence ministry saying nearly 1,000 drones and four cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed across the country in 24 hours
- The Kapotnya refinery in south-east Moscow was hit for the third time in a month, blowing the lid off an oil storage tank; a nearby shopping centre caught fire from drone debris and several residential high-rises were evacuated
- Seventeen people were wounded in the Moscow region and one person was killed in the southern Rostov region when an oil depot was struck
- Moscow's four airports were temporarily shut and more than 500 flights were cancelled or delayed
- Zelensky framed the strike as 'long-range sanctions' and a response to Russia's attack on Kyiv last week that set a major religious landmark ablaze, declaring: 'If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too'
- Putin has not commented on the attack; he is hosting southeast Asian leaders for a summit in Kazan, while Russia launched 200+ drones and multiple ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X: 'Your country started a war of aggression against ours… ask Putin when he is planning to end it'
Why it matters: The strike signals a sharp escalation in Ukraine's deep-strike campaign, with roughly 200 drones penetrating Moscow-area defences despite extensive air-defence systems built up since 2023. For ordinary Russians, the war of attrition is no longer out of sight — airport shutdowns, refinery fires, and residential evacuations in the capital make the conflict's costs tangible at home.
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