Ukraine attacks Russia with over 1,000 drones

In Short:
– Ukraine launched over 1,000 drones at Russia, killing four people in Moscow and Belgorod.
– President Zelenskyy justified the strikes as retaliation for recent Russian attacks that killed 24 in Kyiv.

Ukraine launched over 1,000 drones at Russia in a single day, resulting in four fatalities in the Moscow and Belgorod regions.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy justified the attacks as a response to recent Russian strikes on Kyiv that killed 24 people.

Drone attack retaliation

In a significant escalation, Ukraine conducted its largest drone strike on Russia in over a year.

Three of the deceased were reported in the Moscow area, including an Indian worker, with injuries to three other Indian nationals.

The fourth victim was recorded in Belgorod, close to Ukraine’s border.

Zelenskyy promised retribution following heavy Russian attacks on Ukraine, marking some of the deadliest days since the start of the conflict.

Confirming the drone strikes, he shared footage of the attacks and reiterated Ukraine’s stance against Russian aggression.

The President underscored that Ukraine could target locations more than 500 kilometres from its border despite Russian air defences.

Ukraine aims to diminish Russian military capabilities by targeting oil refineries and logistics.

Moscow’s mayor reported that air defences destroyed 81 drones heading for the capital.

Casualties included injuries to 12 individuals, primarily near an oil refinery.

Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport confirmed drone debris landed without causing damage.

The Ukrainian security service reported successful strikes on oil facilities in the region.

🇷🇺 New footage from Moscow showing a Ukrainian FP-1 type kamikaze drone descending and striking the “Angstrem” plant, which supplies semiconductors to Russia’s military-industrial complex and is under US sanctions.
🟥 According to available information, more than 30 Ukrainian… pic.twitter.com/b6B0vynFNR

— NSTRIKE (@NSTRIKE1231) May 17, 2026

Heightened tensions continue

Both nations have cooled on the prospect of renewed peace talks amid heightened hostilities.

Calls for U.S.-brokered negotiations have not received much traction, with Russia dismissing the EU as a potential mediator.