Russia Vows Retaliation After Moscow Targeted by Over a Thousand Ukrainian Drones
A wave of hundreds of Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and its surrounding areas, resulting in at least two deaths. Russia has vowed to retaliate against the attacks.
According to AFP on Sunday (20/09/2026), Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that more than 1,600 drones were intercepted and shot down, with 450 of them specifically aimed at Moscow. He accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the three-day parliamentary elections, which are expected to further consolidate President Vladimir Putin’s 26-year hold on power.
“This unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the election process. The enemy failed to do so,” Sobyanin stated via Telegram.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the operation, stating, “Our long-range response provided a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night. One of Russia’s major oil industrial facilities and the aggressor’s logistics facilities were hit. This involves billions of dollars that sustain their war machine.”
Two people have died in the attacks. The Governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, reported that the victims were a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man, both killed at different locations. The incident also triggered a fire after a drone struck a 21-storey building, leading to the evacuation of 400 people. Vorobyov did not specify the origin of the drones.
Ukrainian drones also struck a bus in the Moscow-occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine, killing two people, including an election commission member, according to authorities.
The drone strikes come as Kyiv has intensified its long-range drone campaign against Russia in recent months, specifically targeting energy infrastructure to hit vital Kremlin revenue streams used to fund the fifth year of the war. The attacks also targeted oil refinery areas in Moscow.
“A facility in the Moscow Oil Refinery area sustained damage,” Sobyanin added. He noted that there were no reported casualties at the refinery itself and that emergency services were on site. This major refinery has been a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks in recent months.
This latest escalation follows statements made on Monday by US President Donald Trump, suggesting that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to target each other’s energy facilities. The attacks also coincide with the start of parliamentary voting on Friday, the first such election in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Only parties supporting Putin and the Kremlin’s military campaign were permitted to participate in the election. Moscow also organised voting in occupied Ukrainian territories. While few Russian citizens doubt that Putin’s United Russia party will secure an easy victory, the election serves as a barometer for public support for the war.
Russia is prepared to strike back. The Russian Ministry of Defence accused Ukraine of attempting to “disrupt the democratic will of the Russian people” through these attacks and promised a military response.
“In response to the Kyiv regime’s attacks on civilian targets in Russian territory, the Russian army will continue and intensify high-precision strikes against military targets in Kyiv,” the Russian Ministry of Discease stated.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin noted that the attack involved approximately 1,600 drones, with 450 directed at the Russian capital. This is described as one of the largest drone attacks on Moscow since the invasion began in 2022. Images circulating online show large holes in a high-rise apartment building on the outskirts of Moscow, alongside thick black smoke rising from what is believed to be an oil processing facility.