At least two people have died and six others were injured following a large-scale overnight drone attack on the Moscow region, regional Governor Andrei Vorobyev confirmed. The incident marks the latest escalation in a war that has increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure and energy facilities on both sides.
Vorobyev reported that air defenses intercepted 249 drones heading toward the area. Fires broke out in multiple residential buildings and a local warehouse. In the capital itself, an oil refinery sustained damage, and flight operations were disrupted at two major airports.
On Telegram, the governor stated that a 44-year-old woman was killed in Sofyino after a drone struck a three-story apartment building. Five other individuals, including two children, were injured in that attack. Additionally, an elderly man died in the Orekhovo-Zuevo district after a private residence was hit.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that 152 drones were shot down over the capital. He reported that one drone struck a building near a boulevard and damaged a facility at the oil refinery. At Sheremetyevo, Moscow’s largest airport, passengers were warned of temporary restrictions, while all arrivals and departures were halted at Vnukovo Airport.
Social media videos appeared to show explosions in the night sky and a burning warehouse in the region, though these clips have not been independently verified by the BBC.
The attack comes amid intensified cross-border strikes. Earlier in the day, a Ukrainian official reported that Russian attacks on Saturday killed seven people, including two children, in the Kyiv and Sumy regions. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv region, said a mother and her two young children were killed in Fastiv when Russian strikes damaged private homes.
In the Sumy region to the northeast, four people died when a Russian drone hit the car they were traveling in, according to regional official Oleh Hryhorov. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and energy generation sites, transport networks, and logistics hubs have become frequent targets in recent months.
It’s heartbreaking to see children among the injured. Both sides need to prioritize protecting non-combatants immediately.
Does anyone have verified sources for those airport disruption videos circulating online? The claims seem inconsistent so far.
I can’t believe civilians are still being targeted in residential areas. This tragedy highlights the devastating human cost of such escalated attacks.
The scale of intercepted drones is staggering. It raises serious questions about the long-term viability of current air defense strategies.