Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow on Tuesday, killing two workers at a meat warehouse, injuring 18 others, and briefly shutting down the city’s four airports, Russian officials said.
Russia’s defence ministry reported downing 337 drones, including 91 over Moscow and 126 over Kursk, where Ukrainian forces are retreating. The attack coincided with U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia and Russia’s offensive in Kursk.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called it the biggest Ukrainian drone assault on the city. A Russian lawmaker suggested retaliating with hypersonic missiles, though such a decision rests with President Vladimir Putin.
Despite the strikes, Moscow’s commuters carried on as usual.
Russia’s aviation authority confirmed that flights at all four of Moscow’s airports were temporarily suspended following the attacks but later resumed, with some flights redirected to other cities.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire for peace in Ukraine, the conflict continues to escalate, with Russia launching a major spring offensive in Kursk and Ukraine intensifying drone strikes deep into Russian territory.
Moscow is protected by extensive electronic countermeasures and layered air defences designed to intercept drones before they reach key sites, including the Kremlin.
The war, the largest in Europe since World War Two, has blended traditional trench and artillery combat with the growing use of drones as a key battlefield innovation.
