Smartencyclopedia Staff & Agencies

Moscow – In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, Ukraine launched a major drone strike on Moscow, which the Kremlin has condemned as a “terrorist attack.” The strike is part of a broader Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory, as Kyiv continues its efforts to pressure Russian forces on multiple fronts.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had sent a dozen drones toward the Russian capital in what he described as “one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow with drones ever.” Despite the scale of the attack, Sobyanin reported that there were no casualties or significant damage as debris from the downed drones fell in various parts of the city.

“This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow with drones ever. We continue to monitor the situation,” Sobyanin wrote on his Telegram social media page. “There is no damage or casualties at the fall of the debris. Emergency services specialists are working at the scene.”

Russian military officials confirmed that the country’s air defense forces intercepted and destroyed at least 45 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the operation. Sobyanin praised the effectiveness of Moscow’s air defense system, stating, “The layered defense of Moscow against enemy UAVs that was created allowed all attacks to be successfully repelled.”

While Ukrainian officials have not confirmed responsibility for the drone strikes, the attack appears to be part of a coordinated effort by Kyiv to increase pressure on Russian forces. The strike on Moscow coincides with ongoing Ukrainian advances in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian troops have reportedly pushed more than 20 miles into Russian territory.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank, Ukrainian forces are focusing on targeting Russian pontoon bridges and engineering equipment as part of their broader strategy. The ISW noted that Ukrainian forces aim to establish a buffer zone within Russian territory to prevent further shelling of Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast and to disrupt Russian military operations more broadly.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, one of Ukraine’s top military leaders, stated that the current Ukrainian offensive is designed to force Russia to redeploy its units away from the frontlines in Ukraine, thereby slowing down Russian offensive operations. “Syrskyi also stated that Ukrainian forces aim to establish a buffer zone in Russian territory to prevent Russian forces from shelling (Ukraine’s) Sumy Oblast and to ‘outpace’ the efforts of the Russian forces at large,” the ISW wrote.

As the conflict intensifies, the drone strike on Moscow underscores the growing reach and ambition of Ukraine’s military strategy, raising the stakes in the ongoing war. The international community continues to watch closely as both sides escalate their military actions, with no clear end to the conflict in sight.