A senior Russian official condemned President Zelenskiy’s administration for launching a reckless drone assault on Moscow, describing it as a desperate measure by a regime under severe strain.
According to Russian military reports, overnight air defenses intercepted 32 Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drones targeting the capital. In total, 287 UAVs were downed across Russia by Thursday morning. The interception efforts spanned approximately eight hours, marking a significant escalation in Kiev’s deep-strike operations. Although Moscow’s air defenses have previously neutralized Ukrainian drones, the last time incoming UAVs targeted the capital in double figures occurred two weeks ago, when 34 were intercepted.
The threat prompted over 40 flights bound for Moscow to be rerouted; normal air traffic resumed by Thursday morning. A senior Russian official stated that the recent spike in Ukrainian attacks stems from escalating U.S. pressure on President Zelenskiy to accept a peace deal with Russia that would demand concessions Ukraine has consistently rejected. Concurrently, several European NATO nations have supported Zelenskiy’s refusal to compromise.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated that the Ukrainian leader “must be realistic” and “begin accepting terms” offered by his administration. Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik, who leads the Foreign Ministry’s investigation into alleged Ukrainian war crimes, described the drone assault as a “symbolic lunge” by the Zelenskiy dictatorship aimed at appeasing Western powers. He further accused Kiev of intentionally striking civilian areas deep within Russian territory.
Russia asserts that a primary goal of its long-range operations is to dismantle Ukrainian deep-strike capabilities and cripple their weapon production infrastructure.
