Moscow Hit by Barrage of Drones in Biggest Attack of Ukraine War

Moscow was hit by the largest drone attack of the Russia-Ukraine war overnight, hours ahead of a scheduled meeting between officials from Washington and Kyiv that could determine the future of the conflict.

Newsweek has contacted the foreign ministries of Russia and Ukraine for comment.

Why It Matters

The Associated Press has described the attack as seemingly the largest drone barrage on Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago. It is likely intended to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of a meeting between a Ukrainian delegation and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

What We Know

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a Telegram post that it intercepted 337 Ukrainian drones overnight.

It is a record number since the war began in February 2022, The Moscow Times reported.

The ministry said 91 unmanned aerial vehicles were "intercepted and destroyed by air defense systems" over the Moscow region. Another 126 were destroyed over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.

Others were intercepted above the regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, Ryazan, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Oryol, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod, Russian officials said.

"Thanks to the air defense forces of the Aerospace Forces of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for their excellent work," said Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin in a Telegram post.

"The Defense Ministry's air defense continues to repel a massive attack by enemy drones on Moscow."

The Moscow region's governor, Andrei Vorobyov, said at least one person was killed and three others were wounded in Moscow's southern suburbs. A residential building was also damaged in the attack.

The drone barrage came ahead of high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, the first since President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28. That disastrous meeting resulted in Washington halting aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Putin has demanded that Ukraine give up its aspirations to join NATO, and concede territory to Moscow as part of peace talks.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday: "The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things, to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way, shape or form.

"I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there's no military solution to this situation.

"The Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it'll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014."

What Happens Next

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said of the U.S.-Ukraine talks that the kingdom is committed to pursuing "a lasting peace to end the Ukrainian crisis."