Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Russia in Three Years, Targeting 10 Regions

Russia's military was swarmed by hundreds of exploding drones fired by Ukraine in what has been described as one of the largest attacks of the ongoing war. The assault, which began on Tuesday night and persisted into Thursday morning, saw the drones targeting 10 Russian regions, including Moscow. While the extent of the damage remains unclear, Russian authorities confirmed that 485 drones were shot down, with 63 of them falling in the Moscow region. The drone attacks come amid a backdrop of intensified conflict, following a phone call between Presidents Putin and Trump that failed to yield any breakthroughs in negotiating a peace deal.

Key Takeaways:

• Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Russia, targeting 10 regions, including Moscow, in one of the largest assaults in over three years of war.
• Russian authorities confirmed that 485 drones were shot down, with 63 of them falling in the Moscow region.
• The drone swarm lasted for 36 hours, causing damage and disruptions at various airports and residential areas, including Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kyiv.
• Local Telegram channels reported crowds at Moscow airports and limited operations at four airports.
• The attack comes after a phone call between President Putin and President Trump failed to yield any progress in negotiating a peace deal.
• Since March 18, both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating an agreement to pause strikes on energy infrastructure.
• There were no immediate reports of casualties or direct hits on critical infrastructure, although one drone struck the roof of a multistory building in Tula.
• The head of the Tula region, Dmitriy Milyayev, issued guidelines to residents on safety rules during drone attacks, advising them to stay away from windows and refrain from photographing damage.

Statistics:

• 485 drones were shot down by Russian authorities during the attack.
• The drone swarm lasted for 36 hours, targeting 10 Russian regions, including Moscow.
• 63 drones fell in the Moscow region.
• Four airports experienced limited operations due to the attack.
• Residential buildings were damaged in the Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions.
• Five drones were shot down near an oil refinery in Ryazan, sparking a fire.

Sources:

• The New York Times, March 18 (no specific publication date mentioned)
• Alina Lobzina, reporting from London
• Headline: "Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Russia in Three Years"