Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on the Moscow region over the weekend, using a variety of aerial weaponry including the RS-1 "Bars" jet-powered UAV, the Firepoint FP-1 winged drone, and a previously unknown drone called the Bars-SM Gladiator. The strikes targeted the Angstrom plant in Zelenograd, which produces microcircuits for high-precision weapons, and the Solnechnogorskaya pumping station, a critical part of the ring oil pipeline around Moscow. The Ukrainian SBU security service confirmed that fires broke out at both facilities, reducing Russia's ability to continue the war.
Casualties and Damage
Russian authorities reported at least four people killed and a dozen wounded. They attributed several hits to "drone debris," a common claim implying that drones were shot down rather than striking their targets. The Russian defence ministry claimed that 3,124 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the past week. Agence France-Presse journalists witnessed the launch of long-range drones from an undisclosed location in Ukraine, describing plane-like drones taking off with rocket boosters leaving trails of sparks.
Zelenskyy's Remarks
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said taking the war to Moscow was "entirely justified." In his nightly address, he noted that Ukrainian troops' combat operations on the battlefield outnumbered Russian ones, calling it "a very significant result." He added that much has been accomplished this year and a shift in the balance of activity on the frontlines is noticeable.
Strikes Inside Ukraine
Within Ukraine, the SBU reported hits on a Russian command post in Donetsk region and enemy UAV control points in Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk regions. Ukrainian soldiers also struck enemy manpower concentrations in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kursk regions. In the Odesa region, a drone attack hit residential buildings, with casualties being clarified. In Zaporizhzhia, a car was hit, injuring a woman and a man. In Kherson, a drone dropped explosives on a home, killing a man, and eight civilians were injured in attacks on regional cities and towns.
Drone Incidents in NATO Countries
A suspected Ukrainian military drone was found crashed in Lithuania on Sunday, undetected when it entered the country. The drone was unarmed and found near the Latvian border. Latvia also reported a drone alert along its border with Russia, with one drone briefly entering Latvian airspace. Since March, several stray Ukrainian drones have entered the airspace of NATO members Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Kyiv insists the drones were aimed at military targets in Russia but were sent off course by Russian countermeasures.
Commander's Defense
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's drone forces, defended the long-range attacks, stating that sources of funding for Putin's war expenses have become legitimate and priority military targets anywhere in Russia. The interview was given before Ukraine launched its wave of more than 600 drones into Russia over the weekend.
