Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Moscow During Russian Election
SCMP · 3 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Moscow on Sunday, the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, in what Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the biggest ever assault of its kind on the Russian capital. The attack killed at least three people in the Moscow region, struck the capital's oil refinery, and sent plumes of smoke billowing over the city. Russia responded by vowing to intensify strikes on Kyiv, while an exit poll showed the ruling United Russia party comfortably retaining its dominance.
Key Points
- Ukraine fired more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, with 450 aimed directly at Moscow, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin
- Three people were killed in the attacks — two in the early-morning strikes and a third who died of injuries later in hospital, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said
- The Moscow oil refinery was struck, with images showing black smoke pouring from the facility; drones also hit a residential apartment building
- An exit poll by a state-run pollster showed United Russia on course to win 49.4 percent of the vote, roughly the same as the previous election
- Russia's defence ministry said it would "continue and intensify" high-precision strikes on military targets in Kyiv in response to the attacks
Why It Matters
The attack represents the largest Ukrainian drone assault on Moscow since the war began and targeted the final day of voting in Russia's first parliamentary election since the February 2022 invasion. The Kremlin is expected to use the election outcome as proof of public support for the war, now in its fifth year, while Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the operation as having "a very significant impact." The escalation in cross-border strikes underscores the continued intensity of the conflict despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The attack represents the largest Ukrainian drone assault on Moscow since the war began and targeted the final day of voting in Russia's first parliamentary election since the February 2022 invasion. The Kremlin is expected to use the election outcome as proof of public support for the war, now in its fifth year, while Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the operation as having "a very significant impact." The escalation in cross-border strikes underscores the continued intensity of the conflict despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire.