A massive wave of drone warfare has escalated the Russia–Ukraine conflict, with Moscow claiming its air defences intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones in one of the largest overnight attacks since the war began.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that the drones targeted 12 regions across the country, as well as the annexed Crimea and areas over the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. The ministry described the incident as one of the most extensive drone assaults on Russian territory and occupied Crimea since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
Ukraine has in recent months intensified long-range drone strikes on oil refineries, energy installations, and military-linked infrastructure deep inside Russia, in what Western officials say is aimed at disrupting Moscow’s logistics and weakening its war capacity.
The latest attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced what he called a “40-day influence operation,” widely interpreted as a renewed escalation intended to pressure Russia into ending the war after stalled peace efforts.
Russian authorities reported scattered damage, including in the Tula region south of Moscow, where a house was damaged and a woman injured. Officials also said a power line and an industrial facility in Novomoskovsk were affected.
Unverified reports from Russian independent outlet Astra claimed that a chemical plant and hydroelectric facility in Novomoskovsk caught fire, though this has not been confirmed by authorities.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 47 drones were downed while approaching the capital, with no casualties or major damage reported in the city. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes killed two civilians and injured seven others in the Kharkiv region over the past 24 hours.
Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 174 of 189 Russian drones overnight, although four ballistic missiles still struck targets despite air defence efforts.
