Massive Drone Attack on Russia Amid Key Ukraine-U.S. Talks
In a significant overnight assault, Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted 337 Ukrainian drones across 10 regions. The incident, marking one of the largest drone attacks in recent years, occurred just before pivotal discussions between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia. The attack resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries. Ukrainian officials have yet to provide any comments regarding the assault.
The diplomatic meeting in Saudi Arabia follows a heated exchange during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to the White House. The talks aim to address the ongoing three-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, 126 drones were neutralized over the Kursk region, which is near the Ukrainian border and partially under Kyiv’s control. Another 91 drones were intercepted over the Moscow area. Additional regions affected include Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, and others deeper into Russian territory like Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, and Ryazan.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin noted that over 70 drones targeted the city but were successfully intercepted before reaching their destinations. The attack caused damage to residential buildings and vehicles, with Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov confirming one death and nine injuries.
In the Lipetsk region, Governor Igor Artamonov reported an additional casualty on a highway. The drone assault also caused minor damage to a building in Moscow, which Sobyanin described as “insignificant.”
The incident prompted temporary flight restrictions at several airports including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky near Moscow, as well as in Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod. Additionally, train services through Domodedovo station were briefly halted.
Authorities in regions adjacent to Moscow, such as Tula and Vladimir, also reported drone interceptions, though these were not mentioned in the Defense Ministry’s official statement.
As the U.S. delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, prepared to engage with Ukrainian representatives in Jeddah, there was no immediate American response to the drone incident. Ukraine plans to propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and missile strikes, along with the release of prisoners. Additionally, Kyiv is ready to negotiate a deal with the U.S. regarding Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, a subject of interest for U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rubio emphasized the U.S. delegation’s intent to listen to Ukraine’s proposals without imposing conditions. “I’m not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do,” Rubio stated to reporters. “I think we want to listen to see how far they’re willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are.”
The potential agreement on rare earth minerals is not a prerequisite for further discussions with Ukraine or Russia. Rubio indicated that it might be prudent to take time to finalize the details of this memorandum, which currently lacks specifics.
