Russia says at least seven people were killed after Ukraine launched what Russian authorities described as the largest-scale Ukrainian attack of the year, sending hundreds of drones toward Moscow and other parts of the country. The assault came as the war entered another period of intense long-range strikes, with both sides reporting casualties and damage from overnight attacks.
Russian officials said Ukrainian drones were detected across several regions, with Moscow and the surrounding Moscow region among the principal areas targeted. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had intercepted or destroyed hundreds of drones, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that a large number were heading toward the capital. The scale of the attack disrupted normal activity around the city and prompted heightened security measures.
One of the reported strikes caused a major fire at a Wildberries warehouse in the Moscow region. The facility, belonging to one of Russia’s largest online retailers, was among the infrastructure damaged during the attacks. Russian authorities also reported casualties in other regions, including Rostov and Belgorod. Ukrainian officials have increasingly used long-range drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, seeking to put pressure on military, industrial and logistical infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort.
The Ukrainian government did not immediately provide a detailed public account of every strike included in Russia’s casualty figures. Kyiv has repeatedly argued that its long-range operations are aimed at weakening Russia’s ability to continue its invasion and at striking facilities connected to the Russian military. Moscow, meanwhile, has condemned such attacks as terrorism and has continued to launch its own large-scale missile and drone operations against Ukrainian cities.
The latest escalation was not limited to Russia. Russian forces also carried out overnight strikes against Ukraine, with explosions and fires reported in Kyiv and other areas. Ukrainian authorities said civilians were killed and injured, while critical infrastructure and commercial sites were damaged. A fire at a well-known Kyiv book market was among the incidents reported following Russian strikes.
The simultaneous attacks underline the increasingly reciprocal nature of the conflict. Rather than remaining concentrated along the battlefield, the war has expanded into a sustained campaign involving long-range drones, missiles and attacks on infrastructure far from the front lines.
The latest drone assault also highlights the growing importance of air defence on both sides. Russia’s ability to intercept large numbers of incoming drones has prevented many attacks from causing greater damage, but the number of weapons launched demonstrates the scale of Ukraine’s expanding long-range strike capability.
For civilians in both countries, however, the figures represent more than military statistics. Each casualty adds to a mounting human cost that has continued despite repeated diplomatic efforts to reduce the fighting. With both Moscow and Kyiv showing little sign of abandoning their long-range campaigns, the latest attacks suggest that the conflict remains capable of producing increasingly destructive exchanges well beyond the battlefield.