More than 430 Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and the surrounding region overnight, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Tuesday morning, with state media saying it was the largest air raid on the Russian capital in two years, though no damage or injuries were reported.
In a post on Telegram, Sobyanin said “most” of the unmanned aircraft were “neutralized by air defense forces on distant approaches.” He said 36 drones with a direct course for Moscow were “destroyed.”
The state-run news agency TASS said it was the largest attack of its kind on Moscow since 2024.
All four of Moscow’s major airports introduced flight restrictions during the overnight drone barrage. Those restrictions were lifted later on Tuesday morning.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 452 Ukrainian drones across Russia and annexed Crimea between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
In separate attacks on the southwestern Belgorod region, at least one person was killed in a missile strike, local authorities said.
The city of Belgorod experienced another partial blackout and disruptions to water supplies due to attacks on its energy infrastructure, acting Governor Alexander Shuvayev said.
In the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said a Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at an “industrial facility.” He did not say which facility was hit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Financial Times this week that his military’s increasingly complex drone attacks on Moscow and other regions deep in Russia are meant to pressure President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
“When it is no longer one hundred drones but one thousand flying towards Moscow… he will understand,” Zelensky said.
“Once he begins to feel it personally, once he begins to see it with his own eyes, you will see advisers urging him to relocate somewhere beyond the Urals,” the Ukrainian president added. “The farther Putin is from Moscow, the closer the end of the war will be.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
