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Moscow drone attack: Sobyanin says 200+ targeted — AI-generated representative image of emergency crews inspecting debris after reported drone interceptions near the Moscow region.

Editorial Team

Russian Defense Ministry reports 375 UAVs shot down and airport restrictions imposed

More than 200 Ukrainian drones were launched toward the Moscow Region overnight, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said, reporting that Russian air defenses intercepted most of the unmanned aerial vehicles at long range.

Sobyanin said the drones were detected from Wednesday evening until 9:00 AM Thursday, and that ten were destroyed while approaching the Russian capital. He added that emergency crews were working at sites where debris fell.

The latest drone raid is part of an intensifying pattern of long-range strikes affecting Moscow and other Russian regions, disrupting air travel and raising concerns about damage from falling debris.

The incident also underscores the broader escalation in cross-border attacks, with both Russia and Ukraine reporting expanded use of drones and long-range strikes against infrastructure and other targets.

Air defenses and travel disruptions

Russian air defenses intercepted and destroyed 375 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight across multiple regions, including the Moscow Region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Temporary restrictions were imposed at all airports in Moscow and at airports in other cities, including Penza, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, and Cherepovets.
Sobyanin said emergency services were responding at locations where drone debris fell after interceptions near Moscow.

Recent surge in drone attacks near Moscow

The overnight raid followed another large-scale drone attack earlier this week. On Tuesday, Sobyanin said around 340 drones were headed toward the Moscow Region, adding that most were intercepted at long range and more than 50 were destroyed as they approached Moscow.

On Monday, a Ukrainian drone strike caused serious damage in the Istra district of the Moscow Region. Local authorities reported three people were killed and three injured in the settlement of Pionersky, while two others were injured in Solnechnogorsk. A state of emergency was declared in the city after the strike.

In recent weeks, Moscow and surrounding areas have increasingly been targeted by long-range Ukrainian drones, which Russian officials say have aimed at energy facilities, transportation infrastructure, and civilian sites.

Drone attacks on Moscow have been periodically reported since 2023, including the May 2023 incidents near the Kremlin and strikes that damaged residential buildings, followed later that year by repeated hits on the Moscow City business district. Through 2026, reported waves have grown in scale, with Russian and international reporting describing multi day raids in March and large overnight totals in May and June, suggesting a shift toward higher volume saturation style attempts against the capital region.

What officials said about targets and responses

In a Telegram post, Sobyanin said: “Ten enemy UAVs were destroyed on approach to Moscow,” and reported that emergency crews were working at debris sites.

Russian authorities have described Ukrainian drone strikes as indiscriminate terrorist attacks intended to divert attention from Ukraine’s setbacks on the battlefield.

Russia has responded with a renewed campaign of long-range strikes targeting what it describes as dual-use and military industrial sites in Ukraine. Russian officials say a significant portion of those strikes have focused on Kiev, including military plants, drone assembly and storage facilities, and weaponry stockpiles.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported a much higher nationwide count for the same night, stating that 375 drones were shot down across multiple regions and annexed Crimea, while Sobyanin’s figure referred specifically to drones headed toward the Moscow region. Meduza and ABC News noted that official tallies can vary depending on whether authorities count detected objects, confirmed drones, launches versus interceptions, and whether figures cover the capital region or the whole country.

Current situation and what happens next

Emergency response teams remained active at debris locations after the overnight interceptions, while aviation authorities imposed temporary airport restrictions in Moscow and several other cities.

Officials have not provided additional details on damage from the latest raid, and further information is expected as authorities assess the impact across affected regions.