KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces launched one of their largest drone attacks on Russia since the invasion began over four years ago, deploying nearly 800 drones just two days after a similar operation, officials reported on Tuesday.
In a counterstrike, a Russian missile hit a village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, killing at least 10 civilians and wounding eight others, officials confirmed Tuesday.
The conflict continues to escalate with coordinated long-range aerial strikes, as ground defenses employing drones and robotic systems hinder troop movements across Ukraine’s 1,250-kilometer front line, analysts note.
Over the past year, Ukraine has developed and deployed domestically produced long-range drone technology capable of striking targets deep within Russia, drawing international attention from governments and defense experts alike.
Kyiv aims to pressure Russian public opinion and compel President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace agreement, though he has shown no signs of halting the invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on X: “Putin continues to prolong the war rather than accept Ukraine’s ceasefire proposals to end the bloodshed.”
Russian air defenses intercepted 791 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, according to Moscow’s Defense Ministry. This marks the second-largest drone attack since January 2025, per Associated Press data.
In the Moscow region, over 600 Ukrainian drones were detected, with 180 shot down, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported, though he declined to elaborate further. No deaths or significant damage were recorded.
Three individuals were injured in the Moscow region during the overnight assault, Governor Andrei Vorobyov noted.
The attack ignited a fire at a Wildberries warehouse in an industrial zone. The e-commerce company asserts its facility incurred only minor damage, despite previous Ukrainian strikes on its logistics infrastructure, which Ukraine claims supports Russian military operations.
In Pechenihy village, Kharkiv region, Russian missile forces killed 10 civilians and injured 17 others, according to regional military administration head Oleh Syniehubov. President Zelenskyy labeled the airstrike a “brutal attack,” noting destruction of 10 homes, a café, a post office, a store, and seven vehicles.
“We will definitely respond to this Russian strike,” Zelenskyy declared on social media.
Earlier, Russian forces wounded three people and killed three others in attacks on Ukraine’s Sumy region, including drone strikes and an explosion, police reported.
