Ukraine launches wave of drones at Moscow region after Kyiv strikes
Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow and Lipetsk overnight in response to Russian missile strikes on Kyiv, Russian officials said.
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Ukraine launched hundreds of drones towards the Moscow region and the city of Lipetsk overnight into Thursday, hours after Russian missiles struck Kyiv, Russian officials said. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian shot down 163 drones approaching the capital out of about 630 launched towards the region, Reuters reported, citing local authorities.
Two people were hurt in the Voronovo district of New Moscow during the attack, Sobyanin said; they were receiving medical treatment, according to APA Azerbaijan, citing the mayor. Drones also struck Lipetsk, about 400km south of Moscow, hitting a residential building and a clinic, regional governor Igor Artamonov said; the clinic was closed and empty at the time. One man was hospitalised after being hurt in the Lipetsk attack, Artamonov said.
The Ukrainian drone wave came hours after Russia launched missile and drone strikes on Kyiv overnight, wounding at least 15 people and damaging metro infrastructure on the capital's South Bridge, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said. A separate Russian strike on the Kharkiv region killed one person and injured four, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram, while Russian forces also struck the Kremenchuk and Poltava areas, home to major industrial sites and oil refineries, according to Polsat News.
The exchange of strikes came shortly after US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in separate talks aimed at mediating an end to the war, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Polsat News reported.
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What we know
- Official · Russian officials, Moscow mayor Ukraine launched hundreds of drones towards the Moscow region and Lipetsk overnight, Russian officials said; Moscow's mayor said 630 were launched towards the region and 163 were shot down nearing the capital.
- Official · Sobyanin, Igor Artamonov Two people were hurt in the Voronovo district of New Moscow, Sobyanin said; one man was hospitalised after a drone strike damaged a residential building and a closed clinic in Lipetsk, governor Igor Artamonov said.
- Official · officials The response came after Russian missiles struck Kyiv overnight, wounding at least 15 people, and a separate strike killed one person in the Kharkiv region, officials said.
- 1 outlet · Știrile ProTV The exchange followed separate talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and the Ukrainian and Russian presidents aimed at ending the war.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed The casualty figures for the Moscow-region and Lipetsk strikes come solely from Russian officials and have not been independently verified.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
The strikes show both sides continuing to trade long-range attacks even as US-mediated talks on ending the war proceed. The attack on Kremenchuk and Poltava, home to some of Ukraine's largest industrial sites and oil refineries, adds to strikes on Ukrainian energy and industrial infrastructure that have continued alongside the diplomatic effort.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 4 countries.
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How many drones did Ukraine send?
- Russian officials said about 630 drones were launched towards the Moscow region, of which 163 were shot down near the capital.
- Were there any casualties?
- Russian officials reported two people hurt near Moscow and one man hospitalised in Lipetsk; these figures have not been independently verified.
- What prompted the strikes?
- They came hours after Russian missiles hit Kyiv overnight, wounding at least 15 people, Ukrainian officials said.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.