What is the story about?
Russia says it plans to intensify its strikes on Kyiv after Ukraine launched a massive drone assault on Moscow, an attack that unfolded on the same day
Russians headed to the polls for tightly controlled parliamentary elections. Ukraine unleashed waves of drones on Moscow and the surrounding region during the final day of voting, killing two people and igniting a fire at an oil refinery, according to officials. Russia's defense ministry accused Kyiv of deliberately trying to disrupt what it called the democratic will of Russian citizens and promised to respond.
A Massive Show of Force
Sunday's attack marked the largest strike on Moscow since Russia began its offensive in Ukraine back in 2022. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the assault involved roughly 1,600 drones in total, with around 450 aimed directly at the Russian capital.Images from the aftermath showed severe damage, including a large hole torn into the side of an apartment building on the outskirts of Moscow, along with thick black smoke rising from what appeared to be an oil refinery struck during the attack.
Zelensky Celebrates the Results
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the operation publicly, saying Ukraine's long-range strikes had made a significant impact on the Moscow region overnight.He said the attack successfully hit one of Russia's major oil facilities along with a key logistics hub tied to the war effort, describing these targets as sites worth billions of dollars that help sustain Russia's military operations.
Casualties and Evacuations
According to Moscow regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov, at least two people were killed in Sunday's strikes, a 44 year old woman and an elderly man, in two separate incidents. Vorobyov also said a fire broke out after a drone crashed into a 21 story residential building, forcing the evacuation of around 400 people from the structure.Throughout the war, Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian infrastructure with drone strikes, framing the attacks as retaliation for Russia's continued bombardment of Ukrainian towns and cities.
Russia Promises a Stronger Response
Following the attack, Russia's defense ministry issued a direct warning, stating that in response to what it called Kyiv's strikes on civilian targets inside Russia, the Russian military would continue and escalate its precision strikes against military targets in Kyiv.A Vote Held Under Wartime Conditions
Sunday's attack coincided with Russia's first parliamentary election since launching its full scale offensive in Ukraine. The vote determines all 450 seats in Russia's lower house, the State Duma.An exit poll conducted by the state owned Russian Public Opinion Research Centre showed the ruling United Russia party on track to secure 49.4 percent of the vote, a figure roughly in line with its performance in the previous election. The Communist Party followed with 14.2 percent, while the nationalist LDPR party trailed behind at 10.7 percent.
