Ukraine struck Moscow with 34 drones Sunday in the largest attack on the Russian capital since the war began, forcing the diversion of dozens of flights from three major airports and highlighting the growing role of unmanned weapons in the conflict.
Russia’s defense ministry said it thwarted the attack, claiming its air defenses destroyed all incoming drones over Moscow while intercepting another 36 drones across western Russia during a three-hour period. One person was reported injured in the Moscow region.
“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using airplane-type drones on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the ministry said in a statement. The federal air transport agency reported at least 36 flights were diverted from Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports before operations resumed.
The assault on Moscow, home to 21 million people in its metropolitan area, came as Russia launched what Ukraine described as a record overnight barrage of 145 drones, with Kyiv claiming to have shot down 62. Ukrainian forces also reported attacking an arsenal in Russia’s Bryansk region, where local officials confirmed 14 drones were intercepted.
The escalation in drone warfare has emerged as a defining feature of the 2½-year conflict, with both sides developing increasingly sophisticated unmanned weapons and countermeasures. Moscow has established multiple layers of electronic “umbrellas” over the capital, including advanced systems protecting strategic buildings and complex air defenses around the Kremlin.
The attacks coincide with major changes in the war’s trajectory, as Russian forces report their fastest advances since the conflict’s early days and President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January. Trump, who has claimed he could achieve peace in Ukraine within 24 hours, reportedly joined a congratulatory call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite services are crucial to Ukraine’s defense efforts.
Despite the attack’s scale, Moscow showed few signs of alarm Sunday. Residents continued their regular activities as church bells rang across the capital, which has prospered during the conflict due to increased defense spending.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has sought to shield Moscow from the war’s impact, has labeled Ukrainian drone strikes on civilian infrastructure as “terrorism” and promised retaliation. Both sides have increasingly weaponized commercial drones while ramping up domestic production, with soldiers reporting heightened fear of the unmanned weapons.
REUTERS
