Russia downs 45 UAVs in Ukraine’s ‘largest ever drone attack’ on Moscow 

Russia claimed that all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) sent by Ukraine were neutralized on Wednesday by the air defense systems.

According to the Russian defense ministry, it shot down a total of 45 drones over its territory on Wednesday morning. Out of these, 11 were destroyed over the Russian region, 23 in the Bryansk border territory, and six over Belgorod.

Three Ukrainian drones were shot down over Kaluga, while two were destroyed over Kursk.

Largest drone attack targeting Moscow

According to a report by Reuters, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said that some drones were also neutralized above Podolsk, a city which is just miles away from Kremlin.

The country’s aviation watchdog also reported that there had been limited activity from three Moscow airports for over four hours, but normal operations resumed in the morning.

However, no civilian deaths or injuries, and major damage to infrastructure have been reported in Moscow or Bryansk region owing to the drone attack, according to Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. Officials have stated that based on preliminary reports there has been no major damage or loss of lives.

Prior to this, Ukraine had launched a couple of drones targeting Moscow in the past. However, they had been isolated incidents and had not resulted in any substantial damage.

The last major attack on the Russian capital had taken place in 2023, when at least eight Ukrainian drones were destroyed by the city’s air defense systems.

As a strategy, Kyiv has tried to focus its drone attacks on Russian oil plants, energy grids, army installations, and other infrastructure which are producing arms, ammunition, and other supporting equipment for the troops.

This is the largest attack on Moscow since the start of fighting in 2022, as claimed by Russian officials.

Ukraine’s defense ministry is yet to come out with a statement regarding the attack, its scale or the intentions behind it.

Ukraine drone force and its capabilities

Earlier this year, Ukraine had officially inaugurated its Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) – becoming the first country to have a dedicated drone wing.

The Russian onslaught in Ukraine had led to a situation where Kyiv had to resort to excessive use of drones to thwart enemy troops. This was followed by Zelenskyy announcing the decision to create a dedicated UAV wing.

This led to the creation of the USF in June 2024, which was headed by Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi.

Since then, Ukrainian troops have been using drones to destroy Russian tanks, establishments and also to stop their progress in the battlefield. UAVs have emerged as a powerful tool in the ongoing war.

Moreover, the news of the drone attack came right after former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko handed over drones, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and electronic warfare systems to the army.

The large batch of drones and other gadgets were for the use of troops which are deployed in the Kursk region.

The war is now in its third year, and while Russia continues to push forward and hold the territories it gained in Ukraine, the latter has also launched an offensive in the Kursk region to bring Moscow on the backfoot.