Zelensky Sends Massive Overnight Drone Wave On Russia, With Record 1,214 UAVs Intercepted

Facing pressure from President Trump to halt all attacks on Russian refineries, Ukraine’s Zelensky is perhaps getting his last licks in. Overnight Ukraine sent a record number of drones into Russian territory, with Russia’s military saying it intercepted over 1,200 drones across the country.

This means that in total that many hundreds more were likely launched, or possibly even thousands, as part of the long-running Ukrainian UAV strategy of overwhelming Russian air defenses.

The Moscow region was once again heavily targeted, with the city’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claiming that 613 drones had been sent on the capital area alone.

“The majority were neutralized by the Ministry of Defense’s air defense forces at a great distance. 231 drones were destroyed as they approached Moscow,” Sobyanin said.

Operations at capital region’s airports were once halted due to the inbound threat, including at Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky – but by morning the restrictions were lifted.

Significantly, the attack happened as currently more than 22 foreign leaders are being hosted at the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, which has also had President Putin’s participation.

The Russian defense ministry listed out in addition to the Moscow region that there were attacks on the territories of the Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk, Kaluga, Tula, Smolensk, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Tver, Oryol, Ryazan, Vladimir, Samara, Saratov, Penza, and Rostov regions.

As for impacts and damage, one notable hit occurred on the Bashkir Soda Company (BSK) in Republic of Bashkortostan, according to Russian independent outlet Astra. 

For more background:

BSK is one of Russia’s largest chemical complexes and the country’s leading producer of soda ash and baking soda. The enterprise is part of the Roskhim holding company, which owns a controlling 57.43% stake.

The complex is also listed in the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade’s classified registry of defense-related enterprises. BSK supplies military-industrial plants with hydrochloric acid and dichloroethane and is Russia’s sole producer of terephthaloyl chloride, a compound used to manufacture synthetic ballistic fibers, high-strength polymers, and aramid materials. These materials are used in body armor, helmets, and protective components for military equipment and aircraft.

While none of this has substantially changed Russian forces’ ground momentum along the front lines, the Institute for the Study of War has recently said that the aerial campaign is effectively pressuring the Kremlin, given the steady economic setbacks and devastation.

In Ukraine, Russian aerial strikes have continued to result in high casualties among civilian bystanders:

At least 13 people have been killed after a Russian drone hit a busy platform at the main train station in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, officials said. State rail company Ukrzaliznytsia said on Thursday that a jet-powered drone hit the platform where a train was preparing to leave for the nearby city of Zaporizhzhia.

Regional Governor, Oleksandr Hanzha, said on Telegram that at least 14 others were injured and six were in critical condition, including an 11-year-old boy.

President Zelensky condemns the “horrific attack”…

“Moscow simply does not have enough air-defense coverage to shield every piece of infrastructure in its rear, even ten of its most valuable commercial sites,” an ISW assessment concluded. However, nothing has indicated that President Putin is ready to change course – instead we are seeing things steadily escalate on both sides.