Ukraine Launches Major Drone Strikes on Russia; Both Sides Report Casualties

Ukraine launched a significant wave of drone attacks deep into Russian territory overnight, striking targets in and around Moscow, as well as in the southwestern Rostov region. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that approximately 600 drones were detected heading toward the capital, with a third being shot down over the Moscow suburbs.

Governor Andrei Vorobyov described the assault on the Moscow region as one of the largest, reporting that an 83-year-old man was killed in Podolsk when a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, was hit. Damage was also reported at other locations, including a warehouse in Domodedovo, near a major Moscow airport. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted warehouses of Wildberries, accusing the company of distributing military goods.

In the Rostov region, attacks on three cities reportedly killed at least five people, according to Governor Yuri Slyusar. News agencies cited authorities reporting three deaths in the region. Meanwhile, Ukraine also reported casualties from Russian air strikes. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that at least three people were killed and over 20 injured across Ukraine. In Kryvyi Rih, a southern industrial city, two people died and 14 were injured by ballistic missile attacks. Another person was killed in Sumy in the northeast.

In the capital, Kyiv, six people were injured. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that falling debris caused a fire in an industrial area in a northern suburb, igniting several cars. Another fire broke out south of the city center. Russia reportedly launched over 1,550 drones, nearly 1,560 bombs, and 62 missiles and cruise missiles against Ukraine this week. The previous day, a baby was killed in a Russian drone attack in the Dnipropetrovsk region.