Ukraine Launches Massive 600-Drone Attack on Russia

Nighttime Air Offensive Targets Russian Regions

Ukraine launched one of its heaviest aerial bombardments of the war against Russia, deploying 600 drones in a massive nighttime offensive that targeted multiple regions, according to French reporting and Russian defense statements. Russian air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones across 12 Russian regions, the Russia-held Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea, and the Azov Sea, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry figures cited by NBC News.

The widespread operation struck deep inside Russian territory, hitting targets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and an industrial facility in the Tula region. Ukrainian long-range drones have maintained a steady campaign battering oil production and energy infrastructure behind the front lines, a strategy Western officials and analysts say has choked Russian fuel supplies and military deliveries. NBC News notes that the previous highest drone count recorded over the past year was 556 drones on May 17.

Zelenskyy Orders 40-Day Influence Operation

The barrage followed an announcement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X that he had ordered a 40-day influence operation aimed at compelling Russia to end the war, following a year of stalled U.S. peace efforts.

Zelenskyy indicated that recent meetings with G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, yielded further promises of foreign support designed to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter negotiations.

Localized Damage Reported Across Tula

Damage assessments from the overnight strikes remained limited, as Russia’s Defense Ministry rarely details specific targets or damage resulting from Ukrainian attacks. However, regional officials reported localized impacts.

In the Tula region south of Moscow, Gov. Dmitry Milyaev stated via an online platform that a private house was damaged, a woman was wounded, a power line was struck, and an industrial facility in Novomoskovsk sustained impacts. Russian independent outlet Astra reported fires at a chemical plant and a hydroelectric plant in Novomoskovsk, though The Associated Press could not independently verify those specific targets.

Air Defenses Engage Over Moscow

In the capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defenses brought down 47 drones heading toward the city, with no casualties or damage immediately recorded there.

Meanwhile, Russian forces maintained their own offensive actions in Ukraine. Regional head Oleh Syniehubov reported that Russian strikes killed two people and injured seven others in the northeastern Kharkiv region over a 24-hour period using guided aerial bombs and drones.

Infrastructure Hit in Counter-Strikes

Ukraine’s air force stated that its defense forces intercepted 174 of 189 incoming Russian drones overnight, though four of seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles managed to pierce defenses and strike multiple locations.

Ukrainian officials documented damage to energy facilities, residential areas, and civilian infrastructure across Kyiv, the southern Odesa region, and Sumy in the northeast.