At least three people were killed and several injured overnight in a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region, Russian officials have reported.
A woman died in Khimki, north of Moscow, and another individual was trapped under the rubble, according to regional governor Andrei Vorobiev. Additionally, a man and a woman were reported dead in the village of Pogorelki.
Furthermore, India's Moscow embassy stated that an Indian national was among those killed, and three others were injured. However, it remains unclear whether these casualties were included in Vorobiev's count. Another death was reported in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized the strikes as an entirely justified retaliation against ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The Russian state news agency Tass described the drone measures as the most significant strikes on Moscow in more than a year.
Earlier this week, Ukraine experienced a devastating Russian missile and drone attack that led to 24 casualties in Kyiv.
During the attacks, eight individuals were injured in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where reports also surfaced of damage to civilian structures.
President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Russian forces currently occupying approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
In a message shared on Telegram early Sunday, Vorobiev detailed that air defense forces had struggled against a substantial UAV attack starting at three o'clock in the morning.
In addition to those injured, Vorobiev mentioned damage to multiple homes. One private home was reported burning in the village of Subbotino, southwest of Moscow.
According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, 12 individuals sustained injuries when drones struck an entrance to a city oil refinery, resulting in damage to three neighboring houses.
The Russian military claimed to have intercepted 556 drones nationwide, with about 130 intercepted in the Moscow region alone.
Meanwhile, authorities at Sheremetyevo Airport reported finding drone wreckage on its property but noted that no injuries occurred. They confirmed that passenger and aircraft services continued normally.
Zelensky later stated that Ukraine's long-range sanctions had effectively reached the Moscow region with the recent drone attack, underscoring the message that Russia's aggressive state must cease its war.
Simultaneously, Ukraine’s state security service indicated that collaborative efforts with the military had targeted oil facilities and a semiconductor plant in Moscow. Air defense systems at Belbek military airfield in Crimea were also reportedly attacked.
Weeks prior, Zelensky had promised retaliation for Russian assaults on various Ukrainian areas, detailing strikes that had already affected high-value military targets such as aircraft and a cargo ship, along with Russian oil installations. Ukraine's military continues to step up efforts against critical energy infrastructures deemed essential to Russia's war efforts.
