Russia says more than 600 drones launched towards Moscow overnight

What the report says

Russia said its air defenses intercepted the majority of 613 drones launched toward Moscow overnight, according to reporting by Al Jazeera based on Russian state media and officials. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 231 drones were destroyed as they approached the city, while the rest were neutralized on distant approaches between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. The attack was described as one of the largest recent drone assaults targeting the capital and the wider Moscow region.

Russia’s defense ministry said it intercepted and destroyed 1,214 Ukrainian drones across several regions overnight. In one case, debris from downed drones caused minor damage at an industrial facility in Sterlitamak in Russia’s Bashkortostan region, though local authorities said the plant continued operating and that eight drones had been shot down there.

The Al Jazeera report said the latest strike follows a record September drone attack on the Moscow region, when Russian officials reported shooting down more than 1,600 drones. It also comes amid intensified cross-border attacks by both sides as Russia and Ukraine continue the war.

The same report said Ukraine’s Kharkiv was also hit overnight, with local officials reporting damage to an educational institution, while authorities in Rivne said one person was killed in a Russian strike. Russian agencies also reported an attack on a cargo vessel in the Black Sea said to be used by the Ukrainian military. Peace talks are expected next month with US mediation, adding diplomatic significance to the escalation.