Ukraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia, including hundreds launched at Moscow

Ukrainian forces launched over 1,000 drones at Russia overnight, with hundreds of them directed at Moscow, according to officials on Sunday. This marked the largest drone attack ever on the Russian capital, stated Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The assault damaged a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building, resulting in two fatalities and 20 injuries in the wider Moscow region. The deceased were a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Kyiv employed various missiles and drones, including domestically made Flamingo and Pelican missiles, to target oil and logistics facilities in the attack. He emphasized that the financial pressure this imposes on Russia's economy is substantial, with these strikes targeting "$billions that sustain the war machine."

The Kremlin concluded its parliamentary elections, which were largely uncontested in light of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. The Kremlin also extended the vote to the four Ukrainian regions that Russia annexed illegally following the start of the war, as well as Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Kyiv decried the actions as unlawful.

In a part of Ukraine's Kherson region under Russian control, a Ukrainian strike killed a member of the local electoral committee, as reported by Russia's Central Election Commission. Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed that their forces had shot down 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia, Crimea, and the Black Sea. Mayor Sobyanin stated that 450 drones were destroyed en route to Moscow, and the attack was an attempt to disrupt the elections. He affirmed that the "enemy failed in this regard."

Ukraine, a global leader in military drone technology, has deployed advanced long-range drones and missiles in strikes targeting deep into Russia. Its technological prowess has caught the attention of governments and defense manufacturers worldwide. Despite the escalation, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unyielding in his decision to continue the invasion.

The ongoing conflict is characterized by a duel of long-range aerial strikes as fighting on the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line in eastern and southern Ukraine has slowed due to the threat of drones and ground robots hindering troop movements.