Russia-Ukraine war BIG escalation: Moscow skies blackened as Ukraine launches 370 suicide drones, Putin rattled, Russia fires missile barrages on Ukraine’s…; what we know so far

Russia-Ukraine war: The skies over Moscow were covered by a thick blanket of black smoke for hours on Saturday as Ukraine launched a massive strike on the Russian capital with over 370 kamikaze drones, marking a major escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Moscow blanketed in black smoke

According to Russian media reports, fires broke out at the Wildberries logistics complex in Elektrostal and an oil depot in Noginsk, located about 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

A DW report said Ukrainian drone attacks killed seven people and wounded 51 others across Russia, while strikes also hit logistics sites and sparked a fire at an oil depot near Moscow.

Citing Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov, the report said that seven night-shift workers were killed, and 25 people were separately injured when drones struck a warehouse operated by Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, in Kotovsk in the Tambov region on Saturday. The town is some 360 kilometres from the Ukraine border.

Pervyshov said Russian air defences had shot down 28 drones approaching the region and the number of casualties could have been substantially higher.

What was targeted in Ukrainian strikes?

A second Wildberries warehouse was hit in Elektrostal, around 50 kilometres east of Moscow, which caused injuries to 24 people, DW reported, citing Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov. Moscow’s mayor said more than 370 drones were fired toward the region, with some hitting targets, igniting fires.

The Noginsk depot, which was hit by Ukrainian drones, has 24 storage tanks and is a vital fuel hub for the Moscow region. The fire was so intense that black smoke billowed into the sky for several hours.

The depot supplies gasoline, diesel, and other fuels to surrounding areas, and significant damage could impact local fuel prices and supplies. Similarly, Wildberries is a major e-commerce platform in Russia, and its logistics complex plays a vital role in the supply chain.

Why Ukrainian drone attack poses major challenges for Russia?

Moscow is protected by an advanced integrated air-defense network that includes the S-400 and other flagship Russian air defense systems that rarely allow any drones and missiles to go through. However, the sheer volume of Saturday’s onslaught, that reportedly involved more than 370 suicide drone, allowed a few to evade air defense systems, raising deep concerns among Russian defense experts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the government have condemned the attacks, calling them acts of terrorism, even as Russia state media accused Ukraine of targeting civilian infrastructure, a claim refuted by Kyiv.

The Russian economy and supply chain are already under pressure due to the Russia-Ukraine war, but Moscow continues to manufacture drones and weapons despite crippling Western sanctions. Ukraine alleges that large warehouses support Russia’s weapons manufacturing, making them legitimate targets.

What did Ukraine say about its latest strike?

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv’s long-range and mid-range drones successfully targeted several strategic Russian logistics facilities, both deep within the territory and across occupied areas.

Taking to X, Zelenskyy said the strikes hit two major logistics facilities in the Moscow and Tambov regions, located more than 500 and nearly 700 kilometres away from the front line, respectively. He claimed that these facilities were being used by Russia to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment.

“In particular, in response to Russian strikes on our civilian infrastructure and on our cities and communities, two major logistics facilities were hit – in the Moscow and Tambov regions, more than 500 and nearly 700 kilometers from the front line. The aggressor used them to supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment,” he wrote.

Russia launches missile barrages on Ukraine

Notably, Ukraine’s retaliation comes after Russia launched its largest number of ballistic missiles since the Russia-Ukraine war erupted in February 2022. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 41 missiles overnight, of which 18 were intercepted.

The Ukrainian response marks a dangerous escalation in the raging conflict, with Ukraine intensifying drone strikes deep into the Russian mainland, hitting Moscow and surrounding areas.

Experts warn that the strikes on Moscow demonstrates the new reality of the Russia-Ukraine war, that now place is safe anymore, even as both Russia and Ukraine are suffering heavy losses, with civilians being the worst affected.