Ukraine launches large-scale drone attack on Moscow; Russia strikes back with ballistic missiles

Russia said it intercepted more than 400 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow in the early hours of Monday, marking one of the largest aerial assaults on the capital since the conflict began. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said most drones were downed far from the city, with 85 destroyed near Moscow. The attack wounded 10 people and damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, according to Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region.

The drone barrage came hours after Russia launched ballistic missiles at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, continuing a cycle of escalating strikes that underscores the difficulty of reaching a negotiated settlement. Ukraine has rapidly developed its long-range drone capabilities, targeting Russian oil facilities and logistics hubs deep inside Russian territory to disrupt supply lines and strain air defences.

In a separate development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he would hold key talks on Monday to address a domestic political crisis triggered by last week’s defence ministry reshuffle. The move exposed a divide between traditional military leadership and younger, tech-savvy officials. Zelenskyy faces pressure after replacing 35-year-old Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a proponent of drone warfare, while retaining 60-year-old General Oleksandr Syrskyi as armed forces chief. Days of street protests in favour of Fedorov and against Syrskyi have followed the decision.

Ukraine also claimed to have struck an oil depot in Podolsk, about 20 km south of Moscow, and two vessels from Russia's so-called shadow fleet transporting sanctioned oil in the Black Sea. The reports could not be independently verified. Russian officials confirmed a fire at the Yuzhnye Vrata industrial park near Moscow but did not confirm the oil depot strike.

Russia has increasingly used ballistic missiles in recent weeks, which are harder to intercept and reach targets faster than drones or cruise missiles. The Institute for the Study of War noted that Russia launched more ballistic missiles against Ukraine in July than it reportedly produces each month, suggesting it is drawing from stockpiles. A Russian strike on Pavlohrad in central Ukraine injured 13 people, according to local officials.

The conflict, now in its fifth year since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, shows no signs of abating. Kyiv continues to plead for advanced air defence systems from allies to counter the ballistic missile threat, while Moscow presses its advantage using more sophisticated weaponry.