Putin Faces New Challenges After Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Assault on Moscow

Moscow was hit by the largest Ukrainian drone barrage since the full‑scale war began, with nearly 200 aircraft dropping near‑incessant fire on the Russian capital and creating towering columns of smoke that rose into the sky.

The attack caused 17 injuries in the Moscow region, according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov, while the Russian Defence Ministry said that it intercepted and destroyed almost 1 000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles in 24 hours.

At the same time, a Ukrainian strike hit an oil depot in Rostov‑don, killing one person, while other long‑range efforts were described by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky as “sanctions” – a diplomatic euphemism for Ukrainian long‑range strikes on Russia.

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg reported on the barrage and the extensive counter‑measures by Russian forces, raising questions about what posture President Putin might adopt moving forward.

More on this story is available on the BBC website.