Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began more than four years ago, while a Russian missile strike on a village in northeastern Ukraine killed at least 10 people and injured 17 others, officials said Tuesday.
The latest attacks highlight an intensifying exchange of long-range strikes as fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line remains largely deadlocked. The widespread use of drones and unmanned ground systems has made large troop movements increasingly difficult, limiting significant battlefield advances by either side.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 791 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, as well as over Russian-annexed Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. According to an Associated Press tally, it was the second-largest Ukrainian drone attack on Russia since January 2025.
More than 600 drones were directed toward the Moscow region, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who said 180 were shot down. Russian officials reported no deaths or major damage in the capital region, although three people were injured in the surrounding Moscow region.
Another three people were wounded in the neighbouring Ryazan region, where three private homes were damaged, according to regional authorities.
The attack also sparked a fire at a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer. Ukraine has previously targeted the company, alleging that it assists in supplying the Russian military, a claim denied by Moscow. Wildberries said the facility suffered only minor damage.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on domestically produced long-range drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. Kyiv has said such operations are intended in part to bring the consequences of the war closer to the Russian public and increase pressure on President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Putin of prolonging the war rather than accepting ceasefire proposals put forward by Kyiv.
Coverage of the latest drone barrage was limited across several major Russian state and Kremlin-aligned television outlets. Russia 1 and Channel One did not report the attack in their morning news broadcasts, while state news agency RIA Novosti described it as one of the largest attacks on Moscow since the beginning of the summer.
At the same time, Ukraine suffered deadly Russian attacks of its own.
A Russian missile struck the village of Pechenihy in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, killing at least 10 civilians and injuring another 17, according to preliminary figures from regional military administration chief Oleh Syniehubov.
The strike damaged 10 homes as well as a cafe, post office, store and at least seven vehicles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the missile strike as a “brutal attack” on civilians and vowed that Ukraine would respond.
Russian attacks elsewhere in Ukraine also killed three people and injured three others in the Sumy region over the previous day, according to Ukraine’s National Police.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s support for Ukraine following Russian warnings over reports that British-made drones had been used in attacks on Russian territory.
Burnham said Britain would continue providing assistance that allows Ukraine to defend itself, maintaining the policy followed by previous British governments.
The Sunday Times reported that two British companies manufactured drones used by Ukraine in strikes against Russia. Responding to the report, the Russian Embassy in Britain warned that London’s actions would have consequences, without specifying what measures Moscow might take.
