Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Moscow, Killing One and Disrupting Flights

Moscow, Russia - In the largest drone attack on Moscow since the beginning of the war, Ukraine targeted the Russian capital early Tuesday, killing at least one person, sparking fires, and forcing the suspension of flights and train travel, according to Russian authorities.

The Russian defense ministry reported that a total of 337 drones were launched at Russia overnight, with 91 targeting the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed the unprecedented scale of the attack. Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the wider Moscow region, stated that the strike resulted in one fatality and three injuries.

A train station in the Domodedovo district, located approximately 35km south of Moscow, sustained damage, according to the RIA news agency. Additionally, several residential fires were reported by Russian Telegram channels, including Baza, which is closely associated with security services. Russian authorities often claim drones were shot down, with debris causing damage to housing and infrastructure, regardless of their intended military targets.

The attack occurred as US and Ukrainian officials were scheduled to meet in Saudi Arabia for peace talks aimed at ending the three-year conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Further drone strikes were reported in Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, and Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border. Several settlements in Belgorod experienced power outages, as per the regional governor.

Previously, Moscow had suffered its largest drone attack in November 2024, when 34 UAVs were involved, resulting in one civilian death and widespread destruction of residential buildings.

Kyiv maintains that its strikes within Russian territory target critical infrastructure essential to Moscow’s war efforts, framing them as a response to ongoing Russian bombardments in Ukraine. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians, though thousands have been killed, predominantly in Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of launching the attack ahead of a visit by the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) secretary general to Moscow. "This is not the first time that a visit to Moscow by a high-ranking foreign delegation has been accompanied by an attack by Ukrainian armed forces drones," Zakharova stated online.

Moscow and its surrounding region, home to over 21 million people, is one of Europe's largest metropolitan areas. Russia’s aviation authority confirmed the suspension of flights at all four of Moscow’s major airports, with additional closures in Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod, east of the capital. Governor Vorobyov reported that at least seven apartments were damaged in the Ramenskoye district, located approximately 50km southeast of the Kremlin, forcing residents to evacuate.

The full impact of the attack is still being assessed as Russian authorities continue their investigations.