Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Moscow and other Russian targets early Thursday morning, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirming the operation and describing it as "long-range sanctions" in response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities, according to a Telegram news channel. Russia's defense ministry reported that air defense systems intercepted 194 drones targeting the capital and 555 in total across the country overnight. The attack caused damage to infrastructure, sparked fires, and temporarily disrupted flights at Moscow airports.
Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow in two years early Thursday, a Telegram news channel reported, citing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian defense officials. The channel quoted Zelensky confirming the operation, calling cross-border strikes "long-range sanctions" and a justified response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. Russia's defense ministry reported intercepting 194 drones on Moscow's outskirts and 555 drones total across Russia overnight. The attack damaged infrastructure, ignited fires, and temporarily grounded flights at Moscow airports.
The scale of this wave surpasses previous recent operations. As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday at 10:23 Jerusalem, Russia said hundreds of Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow, grounding airports. At around 11:42 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the attack struck oil refineries, with Zelensky using the same "long-range sanctions" description. The current report adds the "largest in two years" frame and Russia's figure of 555 total drones.
The attack came as part of an intensifying Ukrainian campaign against Russian infrastructure. As The Zioneer previously reported, on Monday (Jun 15) Russia launched a large-scale overnight strike on Ukraine with approximately 74 missiles and over 600 drones, which Ukrainian officials described as a combined aerial assault. On Saturday (Jun 13), The Zioneer reported a large Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea targeting fuel and energy infrastructure. The Thursday operation extends this pattern of long-range strikes on Russian soil.
No casualties have been reported so far, and the number of drones that reached their targets beyond the 194 intercepted over Moscow remains unconfirmed. The source for this bulletin is a desk-reviewed report news channel; the figures from the Russian defense ministry have not been independently verified by The Zioneer.
5 developments
- DevelopingUkraine launches largest drone attack yet on Moscow, sources say
- DevelopingRussia says hundreds of Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow, grounding airports
- DevelopingLarge Ukrainian drone attack targets Crimea infrastructure overnight
- DevelopingRussia strikes Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight
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