Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Strike on Moscow Since Start of the War

Reuters reported that Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks on the Moscow region Tuesday, which resulted in the death of a woman, the destruction of dozens of houses, and the forced rerouting of 50 flights from the Russian capital.

According to reports, the attack on Moscow was the largest drone strike launched by Kyiv against Russia since the conflict began over two and a half years ago.

Russia, which relies heavily on drones and rockets to attack Ukraine, and regularly bombards Kyiv with aerial attacks, has said that it destroyed at minimum 20 Ukrainian drones above the Moscow region, along with another 124 in eight other areas.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, suggested that the attacks on the Russian capital with a population of 21 million people were not legitimate targets.

He told reporters, “Nighttime strikes in residential areas cannot be linked to military action. The Kyiv government continues to show its true nature.”

He said: “They are our enemy and we must continue special military operations to protect ourselves against such actions. This is the same term that Moscow uses to describe the invasion of Ukraine.’

Kyiv is yet to comment on the overnight attack but reports claim that Russia used 46 drones in its assault, of which 38 were destroyed by Ukrainian defenses.

U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken announced on Tuesday that he and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will be traveling to Ukraine to meet their Ukrainian counterparts, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Blinken, a reporter, said: “It is a crucial moment in what has been an intense and all-fighting campaign.” Blinken told reporters that Russia was continuing its aggressive actions against civilians and critical infrastructure. It also targeted Ukrainian forces.

Blinken, who has made this trip twice before, referred to the “playbook” of Russian President Vladimir Putin for weaponizing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the cold winter months. He said that the U.S., NATO, and other allies are committed to helping Ukraine defend itself from Russian attacks.

The Blinken-Lammy trip this week is not clear. However, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal reiterated the concerns raised by the U.S. Secretary of State on Tuesday and stated that 85% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was protected from Russian attacks.

Since March, Ukrainians in Kyiv and across the country have experienced intermittent blackouts. This is due to Russia’s intensive campaign against Ukraine’s infrastructure. During this time, 80% of the thermal generating capacity at the largest private energy company in Ukraine, DTEK was reported damaged or destroyed.

In June, Energy officials warned that Ukrainians could only have electricity for six hours per day this winter depending on the extent of grid repairs.

Shmyhal did not say on Tuesday how much power has been restored to the grid or for how long Ukrainians will be without electricity this winter.

He instead highlighted the efforts made to secure Ukraine’s energy industry. The Ukrainian government has allocated $461 million for the protection of energy facilities, while $315 million was provided by allies abroad.