Moscow, May 17: Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone offensives in over a year, striking multiple regions across Russia, including the Moscow area and border regions, in a major escalation of the ongoing war.
According to Russian authorities, at least four people were killed and more than a dozen others injured, with casualties reported in Moscow suburbs and the Belgorod region.
Russian officials said air defence systems intercepted or jammed over 500 to 1,000 drones during the overnight attack, though several still reached populated areas and caused destruction to residential buildings and infrastructure.
In the Moscow region, officials reported injuries near industrial zones and damage to homes, while debris from intercepted drones also disrupted operations near Sheremetyevo Airport, though no major shutdown was reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the strikes, calling them a response to recent Russian attacks on Kyiv and saying Ukraine’s operations target military and energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.
The incident marks a sharp escalation in long-range drone warfare, highlighting Ukraine’s growing ability to strike far beyond the frontline.
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