Mass Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow kills two, Russia says

On the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, Ukraine launched a significant drone assault on Moscow, resulting in at least two fatalities and substantial damage to an oil refinery, according to Moscow's regional governor Andrey Vorobyov. Vorobyov reported that 400 individuals were evacuated from an apartment building in the aftermath of the attack.

Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow's mayor, disclosed that over 1,600 drones had been detected and neutralized, with 450 of them targeted towards the capital. Sobyanin asserted in a Telegram post that "the biggest attack by enemy drones has been repelled," emphasizing that the assault was "clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections." However, the enemy, he added, had been unsuccessful in achieving their objectives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the execution of attacks against critical infrastructure facilities in and around Moscow. He stated on X that "our long-range responses had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night." Zelenskyy specifically mentioned the destruction of "one of Russia’s key oil industry facilities and the aggressor’s logistics facility."

The timing of the drone attack coincided with Russia's parliamentary elections, which took place this weekend following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party is anticipated to maintain its stronghold in the parliament, positioning their victory as a demonstration of public backing for the war in Ukraine.

Ahead of the vote, Putin delivered a televised address, urging the electorate to affirm their support for the soldiers and the nation's unity. He stated, "Your choice, and your will, will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our soldiers, that we are a united people bound together by shared values, historical memory, and love for our homeland, and that no one will succeed in dividing or intimidating us."

On Saturday, Ukrainian officials disclosed that three children and a woman had lost their lives in Russian attacks on the Vyshgorod district of Kyiv. Regional Governor Tymur Tkachenko announced on Sunday that a child who was injured in the attack had succumbed to their injuries in a hospital.