Moscow Confronted with Largest Wave of Ukrainian Kamikaze Drones
Moscow faced the largest wave of Ukrainian kamikaze drones on Tuesday evening, with the Russian air defense reportedly shooting down hundreds of the drones, according to official statements.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a total of 337 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight. Of those, 126 were intercepted over the Russian border region of Kursk, which is well-covered by Russian air defense and 91 were shot down over the Moscow region.
Moscow’s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, described the Ukrainian attack as the most extensive of its kind, with at least 74 drones targeting the capital directly. He reported only minor damage, with one residential complex’s roof being hit.
The Moscow region, however, had more severe consequences. Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported casualties in three communities, with the most devastating incident occurring in Domodedovo. An unmanned drone that was rendered inoperable crashed into a parking lot of a food factory and killed a night guard on the spot. Another worker suffered severe head injuries and died shortly after being admitted to the hospital.
As of now, a further worker has succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind a wife and a five-year-old son, according to the governor, who expressed his condolences. Another worker remains in critical condition and the Russian Children’s Ombudsman, Mariya Lvova-Belova, reported that three children in the affected areas suffered minor injuries.
Terrorism Investigation
The Russian Investigative Committee has officially classified the Ukrainian operation as a terrorist act. Moscow claims that Kiev is resorting to this tactic due to setbacks on the battlefield.
Russian Duma member Leonid Slutsky claimed that some of the intercepted drones were targeting the Kursk nuclear power plant and described this as an act of “nuclear blackmail.”
In the meantime, a resident of Sapornovo, whose house was damaged by a drone, reported finding ball bearings – components often used in explosive devices to maximize the number of casualties.
High-Level Talks in Saudi Arabia
The attack occurred just hours before the start of high-level talks between American and Ukrainian representatives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration accuses Vladimir Zelensky of blocking efforts to achieve a ceasefire with Moscow by refusing to make concessions.
In response to the US criticism, Zelensky proposed a limited ceasefire that would stop both sides’ long-range attacks and argued that such a move could facilitate negotiations. The Russian military has largely destroyed Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, severely impeding Kiev’s ability to produce weapons and transport military goods.
Ukrainian forces have launched kamikaze drones at high-value Russian targets, including oil refineries and gas pipelines, including a crucial supply route for fuel from the Black Sea to Turkey.
Andrei Kovalenko, head of Kiev’s Center for Countering Disinformation, directly linked the drone attack to the talks in Jeddah and described it as a signal to Moscow that Ukraine can “panic” the civilian population if its proposal is not accepted.
Russian Reaction
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitri Peskov described the attack’s outcome as proof of the Russian air defense’s effectiveness and called on the media to question Kiev about the timing of the attack.
Andrei Kartapolov, a general and former Duma member who chairs the Defense Committee, suggested using OTR-21 medium-range rockets as a retaliatory measure. In an interview with a journalist, he called for several precision strikes with these modern ballistic weapons.
Rodion Miroshnik, a high-ranking Russian diplomat who monitors Ukraine’s war crimes, described the attack as a strategic demonstration of power, orchestrated by Kiev and its European backers, who are resisting the impending thaw in US-Russian relations, with the UK being a key driving force, sabotaging any peace efforts.