Moscow Hit By Unprecedented Ukrainian Drone Barrage

Ukraine has unleashed what was reportedly the heaviest drone attack so far against Moscow. The overnight raid on the Russian capital killed at least one person and caused significant damage and disruption. As is typical for Ukrainian attacks of this kind on targets in Russian territory, there was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Russian officials, however, responded angrily, accusing Ukraine of deliberately attacking civilian areas.

In all, Russia claims that it brought down at least 20 Ukrainian drones over the Moscow region, and 124 more over eight other regions. While these claims cannot be independently verified, available videos posted to social media make clear the fact that this was a significant and sustained attack, with the Moscow region being particularly heavily hit.

At least one person, a 46-year-old woman, was killed in Ramenskoye, near Moscow, according to Russian authorities, when fire engulfed a high-rise residential building, leaving another three people wounded, according to regional governor Andrei Vorobyov. Meanwhile, 43 people were evacuated to temporary accommodation centers. “Dozens” of homes in the region were reportedly hit.

Several videos show, from very close quarters, a drone impacting a Moscow high-rise building, although it’s unclear if this is the same one that was struck in Ramenskoye.

Footage purportedly taken by residents in Moscow this morning shows palls of smoke continuing to rise over the capital.

The disruption in the wake of the drone strikes led to the closure of Moscow’s four main airports (other reports state three) for more than six hours, during which time around 50 flights had to be diverted. Among the airports that were temporarily closed to air traffic was Domodedovo International, which was reportedly targeted for the first time.

At Zhukovsky, a fire was started on the runway by falling debris from a drone, Moscow’s mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, confirmed. A series of videos posted to social media show a blaze next to an airliner and an airport bus.

Zhukovsky is a joint civilian-military airfield, well-known as being the home of Russian flight testing and also the location for the Moscow International Aviation and Space Show (MAKS).

One of the major arterial roads serving Moscow, the Kashirskoye highway, was reportedly blocked due to falling wreckage.

“There is no way that nighttime strikes on residential neighborhoods can be associated with military action,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “The Kyiv regime continues to demonstrate its nature. They are our enemies, and we must continue the Special Military Operation to protect ourselves from such actions.”

Outside of the Moscow region, drones were reportedly brought down by Russian air defenses over the regions of Bryansk (more than 70 drones brought down, per the Russian Ministry of Defense) and Tula (where officials said drone wreckage landed on a fuel and energy facility but didn’t put it out of action). Other regions where Ukrainian drone activity was reported comprise Belgorod, Kursk, Oryol, and Smolensk.

A recent spate of long-range drone strikes has accompanied the Ukrainian cross-border assault into the Kursk region of western Russia, which began just over a month ago. At the same time, Russian troops have continued to make small but steady advances in eastern Ukraine.

At the beginning of the month, Ukraine launched another large-scale drone attack that primarily targeted Russian energy infrastructure, including power plants and refineries.

While civilian areas of Moscow and other major Russian cities have seen fewer drone strikes, any successful raids launched against the Russian capital are a major propaganda coup for Ukraine and a morale blow for the Kremlin leadership. In response to earlier, smaller-scale drone attacks on Moscow, the city’s air defenses were bolstered, including the deployment of Pantsir short-range air defense systems on the tops of buildings.

Importantly, the overnight drone raids employed Ukrainian-made long-range one-way attack drones, with at least one video seemingly indicating the use of the twin-boom Lyutyy, a drone that is superficially similar to the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 also used by Ukraine, but very different in mission and capabilities, with a significantly longer range.

Ukraine continues to use domestically developed weapons for these long-range strikes, which began primarily as a means of taking the war to Russia, while the odds on the battlefield were very much weighted against Kyiv. Increasingly, the asymmetric advantage offered by ever more sophisticated drones has seen the campaign ramped up and used to target critical infrastructure targets, especially those associated with Russian energy production and exports.

Ukrainian officials, like their Russian counterparts, have insisted that they do not target civilians, although the overnight attacks on Russia appear to have hit multiple civilian buildings, causing death and injury in the process. It’s unclear whether non-military objectives were deliberately targeted, or whether drones missed their intended targets, due to technical malfunctions, electronic warfare jamming, or simply being shot down over civilian areas.

Russia, for its part, also continues its campaign of long-range drone and missile strikes across Ukraine, during which civilian areas have been heavily impacted, killing thousands while also having a major impact on the country’s energy infrastructure.

Overnight, Russian drone and missile attacks injured at least three, damaged buildings, and caused fires across Ukraine, according to authorities.

The Ukrainian Air Force claimed the destruction of 38 out of 46 Russian drones during a wave of strikes against 13 regions. Two Russian missiles were also used in the strikes, the Ukrainian Air Force added.

While Kyiv is very clearly set upon striking targets deep within Russian borders, including the most high-profile ones, it remains to be seen what the longer-term effects are upon the population within Russia. After all, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the war has seemed distant for many Russian citizens. The combination of long-range drone strikes — including heavy raids on Moscow — and the continued cross-border operation into the Kursk region is now bringing the realities of the war much closer to home for many Russians.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com