At least four people were killed and several others injured in a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeting Moscow and surrounding areas overnight Saturday, Russian authorities reported. The strikes, described as one of the most intense since the conflict began in February 2022, underscored Ukraine’s growing ability to conduct long-range operations and evade Russian air defenses.

According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, at least 12 people were wounded in the capital, primarily near an oil refinery, although the facility’s technology was reportedly not damaged. Sobyanin stated that Russian defenses intercepted more than 120 drones over the Moscow region during the 24-hour period, and the Defense Ministry announced that 556 drones had been shot down across Russia overnight. Additionally, over 1,000 drones were either shot down or jammed within the previous 24 hours, indicating a significant scale of engagement.

In the Moscow suburb of Khimki, a woman was killed when a drone struck her home, and a man was reported trapped under rubble. Further north, in the village of Pogorelki near Mytishchi, two men died after a drone hit a house under construction. Local authorities also reported injuries in Dedovsk, where a drone struck an apartment building and damaged nearby homes. In the Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border, one man died after a drone hit a lorry.

The strikes disrupted operations at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports, causing delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights. Authorities said drone debris fell on Sheremetyevo premises without causing injury or damage to passenger areas.

Ukraine’s air force confirmed it launched an attack involving 287 drones targeting Russian infrastructure overnight, including oil refineries and military technology sites across 14 regions, with the majority neutralized by Russian defenses. Ukrainian emergency services reported injuries to eight civilians in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, including in the city of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Synelnykove.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the drone strikes were a “completely fair” response to recent Russian missile and drone attacks, which had resulted in significant casualties, including at least 52 deaths in Ukraine. He framed the operation as a message to Russia to end the war, amid ongoing hostilities that have entered their fifth year.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to launch attacks in southern Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions Saturday, with reports of two killed and 23 injured civilians.

The escalation of drone attacks near the Russian capital, including residential areas known as weekend retreats for Moscow residents, is viewed as indicative of persistent tensions and the increasing toll of the conflict on both sides. It also reflects mounting domestic pressures within Russia as public frustration with the prolonged war grows.