On the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections, Moscow and its surrounding region experienced the largest Ukrainian drone attack since the onset of the war in 2022, resulting in multiple casualties and damage to critical infrastructure. Russian officials reported that around 1,600 drones targeted the Moscow area, with roughly 450 aimed directly at the capital, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The attack killed between two and three people and caused injuries to at least 20 others, along with fires at an oil refinery and damage to residential buildings.
The strikes occurred as voting concluded in the election for all 450 seats in Russia’s lower house, the State Duma, marking the first parliamentary vote since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The four-day vote was widely viewed as a controlled process designed to reinforce the ruling United Russia party’s dominance. Preliminary results showed United Russia leading with approximately 57 percent of the vote, securing the bulk of seats. Other parties in the election largely supported President Vladimir Putin’s policies and the ongoing war effort, while genuine opposition groups, such as the liberal Yabloko party, were barred from participating at the federal level. Critics from abroad and within Russia described the elections as neither free nor fair.
Authorities emphasized the offensive’s timing as an attempt by Ukraine to disrupt the electoral process. Moscow Mayor Sobyanin labeled the attack the largest drone strike on the city and accused Kyiv of attempting to sabotage the vote. The Central Election Commission’s chair, Ella Pamfilova, also reported a sustained wave of cyberattacks targeting Russian election infrastructure, attributing the assaults to highly coordinated groups employing artificial intelligence tools. However, she stressed these efforts did not succeed in impacting the vote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the strikes as a significant countermeasure, asserting that key Russian oil facilities and logistics hubs had been hit, thereby damaging resources crucial to sustaining Moscow’s military operations. Zelensky stated Ukraine deployed multiple types of domestically developed drones and missiles, including the Fury, FP-1, Flamingo drones, Palianytsia cruise missile, and notably the FP-7 Pelican ballistic missile, which represented a new weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal. There was some uncertainty about the missile’s range capabilities and target locations, with the manufacturer indicating it might not have reached Moscow directly. Ukraine also reported attacks near Russia’s Voronezh region, closer to the frontlines.
The strike's impact included widespread evacuations, notably from a 21-story residential building in Ramenskoye, where a fire broke out after a drone crashed, displacing hundreds of people. Officials confirmed restrictions at Moscow’s four airports, with numerous flights canceled or delayed due to the security situation. This marked a continuation of Ukraine's increasing strategy of targeting infrastructure deep inside Russian territory, particularly energy and logistics sites, as retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The parliamentary elections, widely promoted by President Putin as a demonstration of Russian resilience and unity, took place amidst these escalating tensions. Putin urged citizens to participate as an expression of support for the military campaign in Ukraine. Opposition figures, including the late Alexei Navalny’s widow, called for coordinated voter actions to express dissent, while a small protest was observed outside the Russian embassy in Berlin.
The unfolding events highlight the intertwining of domestic political processes in Russia with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, reflecting the war’s broad-reaching effects on both governance and security across the region.