1 of 2 | Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian glide-bomb attack on a nine-flour residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 0n October 30. Ukraine responded overnight with a massive drone strike on Moscow. EPA-EFE/Kharkiv Military Administration handout.
Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Moscow overnight, the largest on Russia’s capital since it invaded more than two years ago, forcing three airports to divert traffic and causing an unknown number of casualties.
During the attack, Ukraine dispatched 145 drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement. The attack centered on the village of Stanovoye, 15 miles southeast of the city. Advertisement
Moscow’s regional governor, Andrei Vorobyov, called it a “massive attack” in a statement on Telegram.
“In Ramenskoye, after the drones fell, two houses in the village of Stanovoye caught fire,” Vorobyov said.
A 52-year-old woman was injured by shrapnel and was hospitalized with burns to her face, neck and arms, he added. She was taken to the hospital in moderate condition and is now in intensive care.
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky was quick to announce the attack in a social media post, and offered reasons for launching it.
Kyiv is responding to a weeklong series of attacks, he said, during which he claimed Russia has used more than 800 guided aerial bombs, around 600 strike drones, and nearly 20 missiles of various types on Ukraine. Advertisement
“Such terror cannot be stopped with words, and the killing of children and the loss of loved ones cannot simply be forgotten,” Zelensky wrote on X.
“Security from terror is impossible without bold decisions-this is clear for every country. Without justice, there is no lasting peace, and it is quite realistic for Ukraine to achieve it.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it “thwarted” the attack and “intercepted and destroyed” 34 drones.
This is not the first time Ukraine has launched an attack on Moscow, but it is reported to add to the damage in what U.K. defense chief, Adm. Tony Radakin said it has been the worst month for casualties since Russia invaded Ukraine in an all-out assault in 2022.
Radakin said in an interview on the BBC that an average of about 1,500 Russian troops have been killed or injured “every single day” in October, bringing its total losses to 700,000 people.
Both countries have been relatively quiet on the total number of casualties in the war. Zelensky has been on a non-stop tour of friendly nations asking for financial assistance from Western allies, including the U.S. and U.K.
He has continued to push for heavy weapons from the U.S. that are capable of striking the heart of Moscow. Advertisement
The drone strike came on the heels of an agreement between Russia and North Korea, which said the two countries will provide military assistance to each other if either is attacked. It is the strongest show of support between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War. said.
