Ukraine launches nearly 800 drones at Russia; Russian missile strike kills 10 in village

Ukrainian forces launched one of their most extensive drone attacks on Russia since the full-scale invasion began over four years ago, firing nearly 800 drones just two days after a similar large-scale salvo, officials reported Tuesday. Concurrently, a Russian missile strike on a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region killed at least 10 people and injured 17 others, with officials stating the barrage demolished homes.

The two nations are locked in an escalating duel of long-range aerial strikes. The roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine sees troop movements threatened by a high volume of drones and ground robots, with neither side achieving significant battlefield progress, according to analysts. Ukraine has focused on developing and deploying domestically produced long-range drones for strikes deep inside Russia over the past year, impressing governments and defense manufacturers globally.

Kyiv's stated aim is to make the Russian public feel the war's consequences and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiating a peace settlement. However, Putin has shown no indication of halting the invasion. "Putin continues to drag out the war instead of accepting Ukraine's realistic ceasefire proposals and ending the bloodshed," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on X.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted 791 Ukrainian drones over various regions, including annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. This marked the second-largest drone attack since January 2025, according to an Associated Press tally. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that over 600 Ukrainian drones flew toward the Moscow region, with 180 shot down, though he provided no further details. Officials reported no deaths or major damage in the Moscow region, but three people were wounded in the surrounding area, according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov. Three others were injured in the adjacent Ryazan region, where three private houses were damaged, Governor Pavel Malkov reported.

The overnight attack also ignited a fire at a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, located in an industrial zone. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the company, alleging it supplies the Russian military, a claim Moscow denies. Wildberries stated its facility sustained "insignificant damage." Coverage of the drone attack in Russian state and Kremlin-backed media was notably muted, with major TV channels Russia 1 and Channel One omitting it from their morning news bulletins. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, however, featured the attack among its main news items.

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Putin continues to drag out the war instead of accepting Ukraine's realistic ceasefire proposals and ending the bloodshed.