Ukraine launched a large-scale drone assault against Russia late Monday night (June 29, 2026), deploying 419 unmanned aerial vehicles — the majority aimed at Moscow, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyed all 419 drones between 8 p.m. Moscow time (and Greece time) on June 29 and 7 a.m. on June 30, the ministry confirmed in an official statement.
Over 50 of those drones were reportedly heading directly toward Moscow, city officials said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported multiple waves of drones intercepted by air defenses during the early hours of Tuesday, issuing updates via Telegram between 3:58 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. He noted emergency services were responding to crash sites where debris had fallen, but gave no details about casualties or damage.
The largest number of interceptions occurred over Crimea, the neighboring Russian region of Krasnodar Krai, and especially the Moscow region — accounting for 19 of the total interception zones identified.
This latest strike follows another major Ukrainian drone operation just days earlier — on the night of Thursday, June 25 into Friday, June 26 — when Kyiv reportedly deployed 660 drones, one of the highest numbers recorded since the war began in February 2022.
In recent months, Ukraine has intensified cross-border drone operations deep inside Russian territory, increasingly targeting infrastructure far from the front lines — particularly energy facilities involved in oil and gas transport and storage. The aim appears to be weakening Russia’s war financing by cutting hydrocarbon export revenues.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue near-daily strikes on Ukrainian cities beyond active combat zones.