Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow region on Tuesday, killing five people and injuring six in an attack on an industrial zone outside the Russian capital. Several fires broke out in the Novoselki industrial zone of the Chekhov municipal district, according to regional governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Vorobyov said on Telegram that firefighters extinguished the largest blaze, which occurred at a warehouse facility. The attack represents one of the most lethal Ukrainian drone strikes in the immediate vicinity of Moscow, a city that has been largely shielded from direct strikes throughout much of the war.
Near Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, a warehouse facility was also hit by drones, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed on Telegram without identifying the targeted facility. The dual attacks on Russia’s two largest metropolitan areas underscore Ukraine’s expanding long-range strike capability.
Neighbouring Finland established a temporary aviation restriction area in the eastern Gulf of Finland following the attacks, its defence forces announced on X. The move highlights the growing security concerns among NATO’s northern flank states as the conflict’s geographic reach continues to expand.
The Moscow region attack came as part of a broader pattern of Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory. Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones struck a Wildberries logistics center in the Vladimir region and a university linked to drone development in Belgorod, demonstrating the range and precision of Kyiv’s growing unmanned fleet.
Russia’s air defence systems, which have been stretched thin by months of Ukrainian drone campaigns targeting oil refineries, military bases, and logistics networks across the country, were unable to prevent the strikes. The attacks add to mounting pressure on Moscow to protect critical infrastructure far from the front lines.
The escalation comes amid heightened tensions across the conflict zone, with Ukrainian forces also conducting strikes on Crimea and occupied southern Ukraine while Russia continues its aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
Source: The Guardian, BBC News
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