Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Offensive Against Russian Infrastructure

Ukraine launched one of its largest drone offensives since 2022, deploying nearly 800 drones over two days to target Russian military, industrial, and energy facilities. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine directed strikes that hit a massive logistics center and Wildberries retail warehouses south of Moscow, destroying billions of dollars in merchandise. Additional strikes targeted the Sverdlov explosives plant in Dzerzhinsk and an oil refinery in Ufa, where a drone also hit a residential building and injured an Indian medical student.

Russian air defenses reported intercepting hundreds of drones, including 180 in the Moscow region, where over 600 drones were launched. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and other officials reported temporary flight restrictions at local airports and injuries to several civilians.

Simultaneously, the Russian Armed Forces executed a missile strike on the village of Pechenihy in the Kharkiv region, killing 10 people and wounding 17. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as "brutal" and vowed a response. Russia also deployed jet-powered Shahed drones across Ukraine, with one reaching Dubno in the Rivne region, approximately 900 kilometers from Crimea, signaling an expanded strike range.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Vladimir Putin of prolonging the conflict instead of accepting ceasefire proposals. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom reaffirmed its full support for Ukraine's defense following Russian warnings regarding the use of British-made drones.