The record assault unfolded ahead of US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, where Washington will pressure for peace
Moscow faced its largest-ever wave of Ukrainian kamikaze drones on Tuesday night, with Russian air defenses successfully intercepting hundreds of the incoming UAVs, according to officials.
Later in the day, senior Ukrainian and US officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss potential peace negotiations – a process President Donald Trump is pushing both Kiev and Moscow to embrace.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a total of 337 Ukrainian drones were neutralized overnight.
The ministry’s statement detailed that 126 of these were intercepted over Kursk Region, which is adjacent to the Ukrainian border and well-covered by Russian air defenses; 91 were brought down over Moscow Region, which surrounds the capital.
Largest raid of its kind
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin described the Ukrainian attack as the most extensive to have targeted the city, with at least 74 drones aimed directly at the capital. However, he only reported minor damage; the roof of an apartment complex was struck.
Moscow Region, however, sustained more serious consequences. Governor Andrey Vorobyov detailed casualties across three municipalities, with the most devastating incident occurring in Domodedovo. A disabled drone struck a parking lot at a food factory, killing a night guard instantly. Another worker suffered severe head injuries and died shortly after being hospitalized.
Two other victims remain in critical condition, Vorobyov stated, while Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova has reported that three children have suffered minor injuries. Hours later Domodedovo head Evgenia Khrustalyova announced the death of another patient who had been admitted with injuries sustained in the attack.
Terrorism investigation
The Russian Investigative Committee has officially classified the Ukrainian operation as an act of terrorism. Moscow claims Kiev has resorted to such tactics due to setbacks on the battlefield.
Russian MP Leonid Slutsky alleged that some of the intercepted drones were aimed at the Kursk nuclear power plant, calling it an act of “nuclear blackmail.”
Meanwhile, a resident of Sapornovo, whose home was damaged by a drone, reported discovering ball bearings — components often used in explosive payloads in order to maximize casualties.
Talks in Saudi Arabia
The attack came just hours before high-level discussions between US and Ukrainian officials are set to start in Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration has accused Vladimir Zelensky of stalling Washington’s efforts to broker a truce with Moscow by refusing to compromise.
In response to US criticism, Zelensky proposed a limited ceasefire that would halt long-range strikes from both sides, arguing that such a measure could facilitate negotiations. The Russian military has been destroying Ukrainian energy infrastructure, maintaining that these strikes cripple Kiev’s ability to produce weapons and transport military assets.
Ukrainian forces have been launching kamikaze drones at high-value Russian sites, including oil refineries and gas pipelines, such as a key Black Sea fuel supply route to Türkiye.
Andrey Kovalenko, head of Kiev’s Center for Countering Disinformation, directly linked the attack with the talks in Jeddah, calling it a signal to Moscow that Ukraine can cause “panic” among civilians, unless Zelensky’s proposal is accepted.
Russian reaction
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the outcome of the raid a testament to the capability of Russian air defenses, urging the media to direct questions about its timing to Kiev.
Andrey Kartapolov, a general-turned-MP who chairs the State Duma Defense Committee, suggested deploying Oreshnik medium-range missiles in retaliation. Speaking to a journalist, he called for multiple precision strikes using these advanced ballistic weapons.
Rodion Miroshnik, a senior Russian diplomat monitoring Ukrainian war crimes, described the attack as a strategic show of force orchestrated by Kiev and its European backers, particularly the UK, and other actors who oppose the emerging thaw in US-Russian relations.
London and Brussels have criticized Trump’s decision to suspend new arms shipments to Ukraine in an effort to pressure Zelensky.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has suggested that the raid could serve as proof of Ukraine’s “terrorist nature” for Feridun Sinirlioglu, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), who is visiting Moscow this week.
