In a significant escalation, a Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow and its surrounding areas has resulted in at least three fatalities, according to Russian officials. This marks one of the most substantial aerial attacks in months.
Among the victims was a woman whose home in Khimki, located just northwest of Moscow, was hit by drones during the extensive assault on the region. This tragic incident was confirmed by local Governor Andrei Vorobyev on Sunday morning.
Authorities reported that rescue efforts were ongoing, as another individual was still trapped beneath building debris following the attack.
Additionally, two men lost their lives in the village of Pogorelki, approximately six miles north of the capital. The casualties occurred when debris from the drones impacted a construction site, as noted by Governor Vorobyev.
In his updates on social media, Vorobyev mentioned that the drone strike also inflicted damage on unspecified infrastructure as well as several high-rise buildings, further highlighting the scale of the assault.
The Moscow region surrounds, but does not include, the Russian capital.
In Moscow itself, at least 12 people were wounded in the nighttime strikes — mostly near the entrance to the city’s oil refinery, according to mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Sobyanin reported the “technology” of the refinery has not been damaged.
Russian defenses shot down 81 drones headed for Moscow overnight, state agency Tass reported, citing Sobyanin, marking the largest attack on the capital in over a year.
Russia’s largest airport — Moscow’s Sheremetyevo — said drone debris had fallen on its premises without causing damage.