Moscow experienced its largest drone attack of the Russia-Ukraine war overnight, just hours before a crucial meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials that could shape the future of the conflict.
According to the Associated Press, the assault appears to be the most extensive drone barrage on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began over three years ago. The attack is likely intended as a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of Tuesday’s meeting in Saudi Arabia between a Ukrainian delegation and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Telegram that it had intercepted 337 Ukrainian drones overnight, marking a record since the war’s onset in February 2022, as noted by The Moscow Times.
Of these, 91 drones were shot down over the Moscow region, while another 126 were intercepted over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. Additional drones were destroyed over the regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, Ryazan, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Oryol, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod, according to Russian officials.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin praised the military’s response, stating on Telegram, “Thanks to the air defense forces of the Aerospace Forces of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for their excellent work.” He added that the military was continuing efforts to repel the large-scale drone assault.
Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, confirmed that at least one person was killed and three others were injured in Moscow’s southern suburbs. A residential building also sustained damage in the attack.
The drone strikes come ahead of high-stakes negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia—the first such talks since President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s tense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 28. That meeting led Washington to suspend military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Putin has demanded that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and cede territory to Russia as part of potential peace talks.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the need for compromise. "The most important outcome of these discussions is to ensure Ukraine is willing to make tough choices—just as Russia must—to find a resolution or at least reach a temporary pause in the conflict," he said.
"There is no purely military solution here," Rubio added. "Russia cannot fully conquer Ukraine, and realistically, Ukraine will struggle to push Russian forces back to their pre-2014 positions within any reasonable timeframe."
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the kingdom’s commitment to securing "a lasting peace to end the Ukrainian crisis."
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