Russia Launches Record 145 Drones At Ukraine, Kyiv Responds With Largest Attack On Moscow

Russia launched a record 145 drones against Ukraine on Saturday night, marking the largest single-night aerial assault of the war. Ukraine responded with a major counterattack, firing 34 drones towards Moscow.

Russia launched a record 145 drones against Ukraine on Saturday night, marking the largest single-night aerial assault of the war so far, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Sunday. "Last night, Russia launched a record 145 Shaheds and other strike drones against Ukraine," Zelenskyy said on social media, urging Kyiv’s Western partners to ramp up supplies to bolster Ukraine's air defences.

The Shahed drones, which are inexpensive one-way attack devices, are designed with a "fire and forget" system, where their flight path is pre-programmed before launch, allowing the drones to autonomously strike their target areas, CNN reported.

Ukraine’s Air Force Command reported that 62 of the drones were shot down by Ukrainian defences by 9.30 a.m. local time on Sunday. The command also noted that 67 enemy drones were lost in different regions of Ukraine, and another 10 Russian UAVs flew out of Ukrainian airspace towards Moldova, Belarus, and Russia.

Throughout the week, Russia has used more than 800 guided aerial bombs, 600 strike drones, and nearly 20 missiles, according to Zelenskyy. "Such terror cannot be stopped with words, and the killing of children and the loss of loved ones cannot simply be forgotten. Security from terror is impossible without bold decisions—this is clear for every country. Without justice, there is no lasting peace, and it is quite realistic for Ukraine to achieve it," he posted on X.

Ukraine Responds With Largest Attack On Moscow

Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a major counterattack, firing a significant number of drones towards Moscow, the Russian capital. The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that a total of 34 drones were directed at Moscow. However, Russia's air defences successfully intercepted all of the drones between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sunday.

According to CNN's report, Russian authorities stated that the drones were shot down over several Moscow regions, including Ramenskoye, Kolomna, and Domodedovo. Moscow region governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed the details.

Shrapnel from the falling drones led to two houses in Ramenskoye catching fire. A woman aged 52 was injured by the shrapnel and rushed to the hospital with “burns to her face, neck and hands,” Vorobyov stated, informing that the woman is in intensive care.

The attack disrupted flights at two major Moscow airports, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky. Temporary restrictions were imposed from just after 8 a.m. local time and were lifted by 10 a.m., according to Russian state media agency TASS.

This latest attack marks the largest Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow since the beginning of the war. The previous record was set in September when Russia claimed to have destroyed at least 20 Ukrainian drones. In that incident, at least one person was killed near Moscow, and three of the city’s airports were closed for more than six hours, with almost 50 flights diverted, the report stated.