The capital's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow.
Moscow
Ukraine launched what Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described as the biggest drone attack yet on the Russian capital on Sunday, as Russians voted on the final day of a parliamentary election being closely watched for signs of support for President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.
Russian authorities said more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted, including about 450 heading toward Moscow. Two people were killed in the Moscow region, while a facility at the capital’s oil refinery was damaged. Another two people were reported killed in the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, including an election official.
Sobyanin said the attack had been planned to disrupt the election but failed to do so. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the Russian allegations.
The State Duma election, the first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was expected to preserve the dominance of the ruling United Russia party. Putin has presented the vote as a measure of public support for Russia’s military campaign.
Voting took place over three days, with turnout exceeding 50% by Sunday afternoon, according to Russian election authorities cited by Interfax. Authorities also reported cyberattacks against voting systems and communication infrastructure during the election.
Most anti-war candidates were excluded from the ballot. The liberal Yabloko party faced restrictions, while some of its candidates continued competing in single-member constituencies. Party leader Nikolai Rybakov spoiled his ballot by writing the party’s name and the words “For peace.”
The Kremlin is expected to use the election outcome to demonstrate domestic backing for its policies and wartime position.
