Overview
- Ukrainian forces launched a large coordinated aerial operation that used hundreds of long-range drones and missiles to strike deep inside Russia, targeting military-industrial sites and major logistics hubs.
- Russia said its air defences intercepted about 822 Ukrainian drones during the attack, a figure reported by multiple outlets and presented by Moscow as proof the wave was largely defeated.
- The strikes caused civilian deaths and damage in several Russian regions, including a fire at a Wildberries logistics warehouse in Podolsk and fatalities reported in Rostov, Belgorod and the Moscow region.
- Moscow responded with missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhia that produced fires, injuries and deaths, while NATO aircraft downed an unidentified drone over Romania.
- Analysts and officials warn the clash shows a new phase of persistent long-range drone warfare, strains air-defence supplies on both sides and raises diplomatic tensions, including a Russian warning to the United Kingdom.