Russia says it has repelled one of the largest drone attacks targeting the Moscow region since the start of the war in Ukraine, with authorities reporting that more than 180 drones were intercepted overnight as Kyiv continues to expand its long-range strike campaign deep inside Russian territory.
The latest barrage comes as the Russia-Ukraine war enters another critical phase, with both sides increasingly relying on drone warfare to strike military, industrial and logistical targets far beyond the traditional front lines.
According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Russian air defence systems intercepted 180 drones over the Moscow region between Monday evening and the early hours of Tuesday morning. Russian officials described the assault as one of the largest attempted drone attacks on the capital region in recent years.
Russian authorities claim that a total of approximately 620 drones were launched towards Moscow and surrounding areas during the overnight operation, although those figures have not been independently verified. The attack forced emergency services into action across several districts as officials assessed damage from falling debris and drone impacts.
One of the most significant incidents involved a strike on a logistics facility belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer. Regional officials reported that the warehouse sustained damage and a fire broke out following the attack. Emergency crews were later able to contain the blaze.
Authorities also reported disruptions in Russian-annexed Crimea, where officials said drone strikes contributed to power outages in some areas. The attacks highlighted Ukraine’s growing ability to target locations hundreds of kilometres from the battlefield.
The overnight operation follows another major Ukrainian drone offensive just days earlier. Russian officials previously reported intercepting hundreds of drones during attacks that targeted Moscow, the Rostov region and other strategic locations across Russia. Those strikes resulted in casualties and damage to infrastructure, including logistics facilities that Ukraine has accused of supporting Russia’s war effort.
Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones as part of a strategy aimed at disrupting military supply chains, fuel facilities and industrial sites linked to Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian officials argue that these attacks are designed to weaken Russia’s ability to sustain military operations while demonstrating that key infrastructure far from the front lines is no longer beyond reach.
Military analysts say drone warfare has become one of the defining features of the conflict. What began as a war dominated by artillery, tanks and trench warfare has evolved into a technological contest involving thousands of drones, electronic warfare systems and long-range precision strikes. Both Russia and Ukraine have invested heavily in domestic drone production, leading to a dramatic increase in the scale and frequency of attacks.
The latest attack occurred amid continued fighting across eastern Ukraine and renewed concerns over the potential escalation of the conflict beyond the immediate war zone. Recent incidents have included drones entering the airspace of neighbouring countries and warnings from Russia directed at Western nations providing military support to Kyiv.
Despite the scale of the attack, Russian officials have not reported major casualties in Moscow from the latest barrage. However, authorities continue to inspect affected sites while investigators determine the full extent of the damage.
The attack underscores a growing trend in the war: Ukraine’s ability to carry out increasingly sophisticated strikes deep inside Russia, while Moscow continues its own missile and drone campaigns against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. With neither side showing signs of backing down, analysts expect aerial warfare to remain a major feature of the conflict in the months ahead.
