By Andrew E. Kramer
On Tuesday, Ukraine targeted Russia with one of its most extensive drone strikes in the ongoing war, resulting in a woman’s death in the Moscow region, igniting fires in high-rise structures and necessitating the shutdown of significant airports near the capital, as stated by Kremlin representatives.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that it intercepted 144 Ukrainian drones across various regions stretching from the border areas near the southwestern conflict zone to suburban locations around Moscow, underscoring Ukraine’s enhanced ability to retaliate with domestically manufactured long-range drones.
Approximately 20 of these drones were shot down over the Moscow vicinity, according to the ministry. Ukraine did not provide an immediate response to the attacks.
Over the summer, Ukraine has shifted its focus to taking the fight into Russia, most notably with a surprise ground incursion into the Kursk region, seizing over 500 square miles of land. Concurrently, Ukraine escalated its long-range assaults, even as Russia has persistently bombarded Ukraine with missiles and advanced offensives in the eastern regions of the country.
Strikes by Ukraine deep within Russia have targeted oil refineries, power generation facilities, airfields, and military production plants. Analysts within Ukraine believe these actions aim to disrupt supply chains and create leverage in potential negotiations to end Russian strikes against Ukraine.
The drones launched on Tuesday traveled at least 270 miles from Ukraine to reach the outskirts of Moscow. The capital has remained mostly insulated from the conflict, with most military recruits coming from distant regions, while Ukraine’s ground offensive last month occurred far south of the city.
Officials reported that a 46-year-old woman in the Ramenskoye suburb was killed in the attack; this marks the first publicly acknowledged fatality in the Moscow region due to a Ukrainian strike.
Eyewitnesses shared images of burning buildings and smoke rising into the air.
Debris from one intercepted drone landed near Zhukovsky International Airport, which services Moscow, as noted by the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, on social media. That airport, along with two others—Vnukovo and Domodedovo—restricted operations early on Tuesday, reported Artem Korenyako, a representative of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency.
Russian news outlets noted lengthy lines at the check-in desks at Vnukovo airport.
Despite intensifying actions within Russia, Ukraine remains in a defensive position elsewhere along the front lines, as Russian forces, boasting superior numbers, continue to advance around the critical transit hub of Pokrovsk in the east.
The strike resulted in damage to two residential buildings in Ramenskoye, according to Andrey Vorobyov, the regional governor. Three individuals were hospitalized, and at least 43 residents were evacuated from affected buildings to temporary shelters, he mentioned.
One drone impacted a high-rise at mid-level, causing a fire and damaging over 50 apartments, he added.
Located approximately 26 miles southeast of the Kremlin, Ramenskoye has a population of nearly 114,000. Once a hub for the Russian textile industry, it now comprises numerous towns outside Moscow’s boundaries where residents commute to work in the capital.
In the overnight drone assault, the Russian Defense Ministry stated it had shot down 20 drones in the Moscow area, which envelops but does not include the capital city. Most interceptions were reported to occur in southern Russia, near the Ukrainian border.
Tuesday’s wave of attacks was among the largest reported by Russia. On September 1, the Defense Ministry claimed it downed 158 Ukrainian explosive drones.
In that incident, footage showed fixed-wing drones — resembling small, low-flying aircraft — entering areas surrounding Moscow. One detonated at a power station. Last year, Russia alleged that Ukraine launched drones targeting the Kremlin and a skyscraper in Moscow’s financial district home to government offices.
While Ukraine’s military capabilities to strike deep within Russian territory are improving, Russia’s arsenal of missiles and drones significantly outweighs Ukraine’s, resulting in higher casualty rates on Ukrainian soil. The United Nations has reported that Russia’s invasion, which commenced in 2022, has led to over 11,000 civilian deaths, a figure believed to be substantially lower than the actual toll.
Drone attacks in both directions have become a common occurrence in this conflict.
Ukraine’s military disclosed that Russia launched 46 Iranian-made Shahed explosive drones and two missiles at Ukraine during the night from Monday to Tuesday. Attacks involving dozens of drones have become a nightly challenge for Ukrainians. The Ukrainian air force reported it intercepted both missiles and 38 drones.
The strikes damaged homes and caused injuries to three individuals, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and local officials. One person sustained injuries when a drone detonated a mine in eastern Ukraine, while two others were hurt by falling debris in the central Cherkasy region. The attacks targeted electrical infrastructure across eight regions, resulting in brief power outages in certain areas, as stated by the ministry.
