MOSCOW | Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones toward Russia in one of the largest aerial attacks of the war, including hundreds aimed at Moscow, Russian authorities said Sunday. The barrage killed two people in the Moscow region, injured 20 others and damaged an oil refinery and residential buildings as Russia entered the final day of its parliamentary elections.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had shot down 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia, occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones had been intercepted while heading toward the capital. Sobyanin described the assault as the largest ever against Moscow and said several drones reached the Moscow oil refinery. Reuters witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising from the refinery site.
In the wider Moscow region, Governor Andrei Vorobyov said two people were killed and 20 wounded. About 400 residents, including 70 children, were evacuated from a 21-storey apartment building in Ramenskoye after it was damaged. A separate residential building was also struck, according to Russian officials.
The attack coincided with the third and final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections, the first such national vote since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Sobyanin said the drone assault was intended to disrupt the elections but claimed it failed to do so. Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had struck Russian oil and logistics facilities using domestically produced weapons, including drones and missiles. He said the attacks were intended to put economic pressure on Russia’s war effort. Those claims could not be independently verified.
The strike is the latest escalation in Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. Reuters reported that Ukrainian attacks in 2024 repeatedly targeted refineries, oil terminals and other energy facilities, while strikes in 2025 continued to disrupt portions of Russia’s refining capacity. Moscow has likewise repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy system.
The Moscow refinery has been targeted previously and is a significant fuel producer. Reuters reported that it processed 11.6 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024, producing about 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel. Recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries have contributed to fuel shortages and price increases in parts of Russia, according to Reuters.
The broader conflict began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, although fighting had already been underway since Russia-backed forces seized parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014. The United Nations has described the 2022 invasion as a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the UN Charter.
Four years into the full-scale war, both sides have increasingly relied on long-range drones to strike military, industrial and energy targets far from the main front lines. The latest assault demonstrates the growing reach of Ukraine’s drone campaign while also underscoring the continuing vulnerability of major Russian infrastructure to attacks deep inside the country.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
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- Venus L Peñaflor
