A large-scale drone assault on Russian territory, reportedly the most significant in three years, left one person dead and nine others injured in the Moscow region. The attack coincided with planned peace talks between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia.
Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov stated that eight of the injured, including a child, were in his jurisdiction. Russian authorities claimed that air defense systems intercepted the majority of the 337 drones launched, with 91 downed over the Moscow region alone. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that over 70 drones specifically targeted the capital.
The attack caused extensive damage, with seven apartment buildings affected and several cars set ablaze in a parking lot, according to Russian state media outlets RIA Novosti and Tass. The impact of the strike also disrupted transportation, with flights restricted at six airports and train services briefly suspended.
Regions hit by the assault included those along the Ukrainian border—Belgorod, Bryansk, and Voronezh—as well as locations deeper within Russia, such as Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, and Ryazan.
Ukraine and US Officials Convene for Peace Talks
As tensions escalated, Ukrainian representatives gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss pathways to ending the prolonged war. Though President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was present for initial discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he later departed, leaving his delegation to engage with US officials, including Senator Marco Rubio.
The meeting marked the first formal diplomatic exchange between the two nations following a controversial White House encounter in which President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticized Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader had traveled to Washington to finalize a critical minerals agreement.
There has been no immediate response from Ukrainian officials regarding the drone assault.
