Three individuals have lost their lives in the Moscow region, marking what is characterized as the most significant drone assault on the Russian capital since the onset of the extensive conflict in Ukraine.
Additionally, 18 individuals, including three children, sustained injuries, as reported by health officials to Russian media outlets.
Authorities indicated that the three deceased men were employed at a distribution center that was struck by debris from a drone in the village of Yam, located near Domodedovo airport. Numerous vehicles were damaged when the drone impacted a parking area, and the glass facade of a nearby supermarket suffered considerable destruction.
The Russian defense ministry reported that 337 drones were intercepted across Russia, with 91 of them being downed in the Moscow region.
Three men, aged 38, 43, and 50, lost their lives during an incident at the Miratorg agricultural distribution center, where a drone strike occurred at 05:14 (02:14 GMT) on Tuesday, as reported by Moscow’s regional governor, Andrei Vorobyov. One of the deceased was employed as a security guard, while the other two had just commenced their shifts.
The company later reported that 40 vehicles sustained damage in the parking area. Additionally, several individuals were injured when a residential building was struck in Vidnoye, located just south of the Moscow ring road, and another building was affected in Ramenskoye, further east.
Earlier that same day, four individuals were killed due to shelling at a shopping center in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, according to Russian officials. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin noted that seven apartments were damaged in Ramenskoye, characterizing the drone attack as “the most massive” his region had experienced.
Although the roof of one structure was compromised by debris from the drone, Sobyanin deemed the damage to be “insignificant.” He also indicated that 12 individuals, including three children, required evacuation following the overnight incident.
In the aftermath of the attack, one district train service was suspended, and flight restrictions were implemented at Moscow’s airports. This incident occurred just hours before a critical meeting in Saudi Arabia between representatives from the United States and Ukraine, aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The discussions in Jeddah, involving Ukrainian delegates and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marked the first official engagement since last month’s heated exchange between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House. Rubio suggested on Monday that, as part of a potential agreement to cease hostilities, Ukraine might need to cede territory to Russia, emphasizing that both parties must recognize that “there’s no military solution to this situation.”
Following the strikes, flight restrictions were enacted at Moscow’s four primary airports—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—as well as at airports located in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions. These airports serve as significant transportation hubs, accommodating millions of travelers annually.
Subsequently, Russia’s defense ministry reported that a total of 337 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed overnight across Moscow and nine additional Russian regions, including Kursk.
Officials in Kyiv indicated that the magnitude of the attack was designed to convey a message aimed at persuading Russian President Vladimir Putin to consider a ceasefire in both air and maritime operations.
During the night, Ukrainian authorities reported Russian drone assaults on the capital city of Kyiv and various other regions.
Ukraine’s air force announced that it had successfully downed 79 out of 126 drones launched by Russia, in addition to intercepting an Iskander-M ballistic missile.
Furthermore, it was noted that approximately 35 drones likely failed to reach their intended targets due to electronic warfare countermeasures, although it remained uncertain whether the remaining 12 drones successfully struck their objectives.
At this time, it is unclear if there were any casualties.