Ukraine launches ~600 drones at Russia, 4 killed
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- Russia's air defences shot down 556 Ukrainian drones overnight across 14 regions and the annexed Crimean peninsula, with an additional 30 drones intercepted after dawn.
- Moscow region reported a civilian woman killed, two men dead, and an Indian citizen among the four fatalities caused by a drone strike on a private house.
- Volodymyr Zelensky said the massive drone barrage was an entirely justified response to Russia’s prolongation of the war and its attacks on Ukrainian cities.
- Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Forces, emphasized that expanding long‑range strike capabilities remains Kyiv’s priority.
- Moscow Oil Refinery and the Solnechnogorsk oil depot, along with micro‑electronics manufacturing sites, were hit for the first time in this attack, according to Ukraine’s defence ministry.
- Ukrainian air force claimed it downed 279 of 287 Russian drones launched in a separate sortie.
- Moscow's capital region intercepted over 80 drones overnight, wounding 12 people, while a nearby oil and gas refinery continued operating without disruption.
Why it matters: The raid shows Kyiv can now strike deep into Russian territory, hitting energy sites and causing civilian deaths, which raises the cost of Russia’s war effort and underscores the growing threat to Russian civilians and infrastructure, forcing Moscow to divert additional air‑defence resources.
