BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
At least four people were killed and several others injured after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack struck multiple Russian regions overnight, including the heaviest assault on the Moscow area in more than a year, Russian officials said on Sunday.
Russian air defenses were activated across several parts of the country as hundreds of drones targeted key regions during the overnight barrage, intensifying the increasingly aggressive aerial confrontation between and .
Authorities said three people were killed in the Moscow region while another person died in the Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border.
According to Moscow regional governor , one woman was killed after a residential building in Khimki, a city located north of Moscow, was struck during the attack. Emergency crews continued searching through debris after reports that another person may have been trapped beneath the rubble.
Vorobyov also confirmed that two men were killed in the village of Pogorelki in the Mytishchi district as drones or falling debris struck residential areas.
The attacks caused damage to several apartment buildings, private homes and infrastructure facilities throughout the Moscow region, raising concerns over the expanding reach and frequency of drone warfare deep inside Russian territory.
Moscow Mayor said Russian air defense systems intercepted dozens of drones heading toward the capital throughout the night and into Sunday morning.
Russian state media reported that air defenses destroyed at least 81 drones approaching Moscow since midnight, making it the largest drone attack targeting the Russian capital in more than a year.
Sobyanin said at least 12 people were injured during the assault, with many of the casualties reported near the entrance area of Moscow’s major oil refinery complex. He added that while some external structures were affected, the refinery’s operational systems and technology infrastructure remained intact.
Videos circulating on Russian social media appeared to show flashes in the night sky as air defense systems engaged incoming drones, while explosions and fires were reported in several suburban districts surrounding the capital.
Russia’s Defense Ministry later stated that a total of 556 drones had been intercepted or destroyed across the country overnight and into the morning hours, suggesting one of the largest coordinated aerial attacks since the war began.
The ministry did not provide a detailed breakdown of how many drones successfully reached their targets or identify all the regions affected, though attacks were reported in multiple western and central Russian territories.
In addition to Moscow, the Belgorod region once again came under attack. The area, which borders Ukraine, has repeatedly faced shelling, drone strikes and cross-border attacks during the conflict due to its strategic location.
Russian authorities also reported that debris from intercepted drones fell on the grounds of , Russia’s busiest airport. Airport officials said no damage was caused to operational infrastructure, though the incident underscored growing concerns about the vulnerability of critical transportation hubs around Moscow.
Temporary flight restrictions and heightened security measures were reportedly introduced at several airports during the overnight attacks as officials monitored the situation.
The latest barrage reflects the continuing escalation in long-range drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides increasingly relying on unmanned aerial attacks to target infrastructure, military facilities and energy installations far behind front lines.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the attack. Kyiv rarely directly confirms responsibility for strikes inside Russian territory, though Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that military and industrial infrastructure supporting Russia’s war effort are considered legitimate targets.
The expanding use of drones has transformed the conflict, allowing both countries to conduct strikes hundreds of miles away from active combat zones while testing air defense systems and disrupting logistics networks.
Moscow had previously experienced drone attacks during the war, but the scale of Sunday’s assault appeared significantly larger than many earlier incidents. Russian authorities have increasingly strengthened defensive systems around the capital, including electronic warfare equipment and additional anti-aircraft batteries.
Despite those efforts, repeated attacks have exposed the challenges Russia faces in protecting vast territories and major urban centers from coordinated drone operations.
The latest strikes also come at a sensitive moment in the broader conflict, as fighting continues along multiple sections of the front line and diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire remain stalled.
Residents in parts of the Moscow region described hearing repeated explosions throughout the night as air defense systems engaged incoming drones overhead. Emergency crews continued working through the morning to assess structural damage, extinguish fires and clear debris from impacted neighborhoods.
As both Russia and Ukraine intensify their use of long-range drone attacks, security analysts warn that strikes targeting major cities and strategic infrastructure could become increasingly common, further expanding the war beyond traditional battlefield zones and deepening uncertainty for civilians on both sides of the conflict.
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