Drone Assault on Moscow
Ukraine launched a significant drone attack on Moscow overnight, with the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reporting at least 450 drones were intercepted. The attack coincided with the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections, which President Putin’s United Russia Party is expected to win. Opposing parties, including the only anti-war faction, faced bans and imprisonments of activists.
According to Sobyanin, the drones targeted key sites, including the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building. Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyev stated that two individuals were killed and six were injured. The casualties include an elderly man from Orekhovo-Zuevo and a 44-year-old woman from Sofyino. Vorobyev added that 249 drones were shot down across the broader Moscow region, resulting in multiple house fires.
Flights to and from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport were affected but have since resumed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the strike’s impact on Russia’s vital oil facilities and logistics, emphasizing the need for Moscow to pursue peace.
Impacts on Logistics and Energy
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian oil facilities, essential to Russia’s economy. The International Energy Agency reports a decline in Russia’s refining capacity to its lowest in 20 years. Fuel shortages are now prevalent at Russian gas stations. Ukrainian strikes have also targeted warehouses of Wildberries, accusing the company of supplying drone components to the Russian military, claims Moscow denies.
Russia retaliates with drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, including a deadly attack on a mall in Kryvyi Rih in August, killing 16. A UN official warned that Ukraine might face its most challenging winter due to compromised energy infrastructure.
Ongoing Counteroffensive
Intense combat persists, especially in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, claimed by both Ukraine and Russia. A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive focused on a Russian-held area near Lyman. Military analyst Giorgi Revishvili noted Ukraine’s success in eliminating the Russian presence north of the city.
Sanctions And International Response
President Trump recently signed a sanctions bill targeting major buyers of Russian oil and gas, Russian banks, and oil tankers. Additionally, it imposes tariffs and targets President Putin personally. This bill is named after the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.
Newsweek editors Daniel Orton and Cristina Diciu are available for further details on this unfolding story.