Russian election enters final day after Ukraine targets Moscow in massive drone attack

MOSCOW — Ukraine attempted an unprecedented drone assault on Monday, targeting the Russian capital Moscow in an effort to disrupt the final day of a parliamentary election, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The assault, which Sobyanin described as unsuccessful, resulted in the deaths of two individuals in the surrounding Moscow region and saw the city's oil refinery come under attack.

Witnesses heard explosions and observed plumes of smoke emanating from the refinery site, though the extent of the damage remains unclear. No comments were provided by Ukraine. This marks the largest drone attack ever recorded, with more than 1,600 drones shot down across all fronts, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow. One drone did hit a residential building, but no residents sustained injuries.

Sobyanin asserted that the attack was deliberate, aiming to undermine the legitimacy of the election, which President Vladimir Putin framed as a measure of public support for Russia's war in Ukraine.