Ukraine Launches Major Drone Assault on Russia Amid Escalating Conflict
Ukraine has executed one of its most significant drone assaults on Russian territory since the war commenced, leading to the death of a woman in the Moscow region and prompting the temporary closure of several airports around the capital. According to Russia's defense ministry, they shot down a total of 144 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with 20 intercepted over Moscow alone. Other drones were reportedly downed in multiple regions across the country.
Moscow's mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, confirmed a blaze occurred on the runway at Zhukovsky airfield, ignited by debris from one of the intercepted drones. Footage circulating on social media showed flames near a parked aircraft and a passenger bus. Three out of four international and domestic airports in Moscow were subsequently shut down, including Domodedovo International Airport, which received its first reported attack.
A main thoroughfare leading into Moscow, the Kashirskoye Highway, was blocked due to falling debris from the drones. During the night, a drone struck a residential building in the Ramenskoye district, approximately 30 miles southeast of the Kremlin. The local governor, Andrei Vorobyov, stated that a 46-year-old woman lost her life in this incident, while three others sustained injuries as flames engulfed apartments. Authorities evacuated 43 residents to temporary accommodation centers following the attack. Eyewitness reports detailed a fireball erupting from the building, as one resident, Alexander Li, recollected, "I looked at the window and saw a ball of fire. The window got blown out by the shock wave."
Further explosions were reported over Bryansk Oblast shortly after midnight, and authorities in the Tula region claimed they had destroyed two additional drones, with debris affecting an energy facility. Various drones were also spotted in other regions, including Smolensk, Belgorod, Kursk, and Oryol.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from Kyiv regarding this significant escalation. Recently, Ukraine has heightened its long-range attack campaigns targeting military installations and energy infrastructure deep within Russian territory. Several of the drones launched on Monday night reportedly traveled over 500 miles (about 800 kilometers).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has referred to these drone strikes as a necessary response to the Kremlin’s repeated aerial assaults on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructures. Just ten days prior, drones targeted an oil refinery in southeastern Moscow, highlighting the ongoing tension and retaliatory actions from both sides.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, many within Russia have maintained a perception of the war as a distant conflict, largely unaffected by it. However, as Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv's strategy seeks to bring the fight onto Russian soil, compelling its citizens to confront the reality of war.
Just over a month ago, Ukraine's armed forces executed a surprising incursion into Russia's Kursk region, seizing approximately 100 settlements, including the border town of Sudzha, forcing tens of thousands of local residents to evacuate as clashes intensify in the region.
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