The fifth year of the Russia-Ukraine war has reached a major turning point. On the final day of the State Duma elections in Russia, Ukraine launched its largest drone attack yet on Moscow. The Kremlin described it as an attempt to disrupt democratic will and threatened to intensify attacks on Kyiv.
1,600 Drones Attack on Moscow
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin himself stated that this was the largest attack on the capital since the war began in 2022.
- From Saturday night to Sunday, Russia claimed to have shot down more than 1,600 Ukrainian drones.
- Of these, 450 drones were headed directly toward Moscow.
- Two people were killed in the Moscow region in this attack – a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man. Twenty people are reported injured.
- A drone crashed into a 21-story apartment building, causing a fire and forcing 400 people to evacuate. A large hole was created in a building in Kotelniki.
- A massive fire broke out at the Moscow Oil Refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft. Plumes of black smoke were visible from several kilometers away. This refinery has been targeted before.
Sobyanin wrote on Telegram, "The largest attack by enemy drones has been thwarted. This unprecedented attack was clearly planned to disrupt the elections. The enemy did not succeed."
Kremlin's response: Attacks on Kyiv will intensify
Russia's Defense Ministry immediately issued a statement.
The Defense Ministry said, "In response to the Kyiv regime's attacks on civilian targets inside Russia, the Russian military will continue and intensify its high-accuracy strikes on military targets in Kyiv."
The Ministry accused Ukraine of trying to "obstruct the democratic will of Russian citizens." It also claimed to have shot down approximately 2,000 drones and eight cruise missiles in the past 24 hours.
Zelenskyy said, "Billions of dollars in damage caused."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the attack. He said, "Our long-range response had a significant impact in the Moscow region last night."
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine used two new domestically developed weapons in the attack: the Flamingo Cruise Missile and the Pelican Missile/Drone. He added, "A key facility in Russia's oil industry and the attacker's logistics facility were targeted. These are billions of dollars that power the war machine."
Putin's party wins again, but questions remain about the election.
Amid this attack and cyberattack, Russia's three-day parliamentary elections concluded. This was the first Duma election since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Exit polls by government pollsters project Putin's United Russia party to win 49.4% of the vote.
According to state media TASS, with 71% of the vote counted, United Russia has secured 57.5% of the vote. The Communist Party is at 14%, and the LDPR at 8.7%.
With this, United Russia is set to regain a two-thirds majority in the 450-seat Duma, allowing it to amend the constitution.
No anti-war party was allowed to contest the election. The Supreme Court removed the anti-war Yabloko party from the ballot just weeks before the vote.
Voting was also held in occupied Ukrainian territories.
Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova said that despite a cyber attack, voting went smoothly, with turnout at around 57% by evening.
The Kremlin is preparing to present this victory as proof of public support for Putin's policies and war.
This attack demonstrates that Ukraine is now capable of not just defense, but of striking deep into Moscow, using its own weapons. Meanwhile, Russia has threatened more missile attacks on Kyiv.
There are reports of two deaths, including an election official, particularly in the occupied Kherson region.
The next few days could be difficult for both capitals – Moscow and Kyiv.
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