Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has stated that Ukraine has launched the largest drone attack on the capital since the war began in February 2022. Two people lost their lives in the attack, during which hundreds of Ukrainian drones were shot down. He alleged that Ukraine carried out this attack with the intention of disrupting the parliamentary elections.
According to reports by Sky News and TASS, Mayor Sobyanin stated that a facility within the Moscow refinery complex was damaged due to the ongoing drone attack on the Russian capital. The mayor wrote on the messaging app, “The attack on Moscow by enemy drones continues. A facility at the Moscow oil refinery complex has been damaged, but there are no reports of casualties.” He added that rescue and relief personnel are at the scene.
Reports indicate that Russian air defenses destroyed 338 drones heading towards Moscow starting from midnight (Moscow time) on Sunday. The mayor stated that the Russian Defense Ministry’s air defense forces destroyed another 152 drones approaching the city. He wrote on the messaging app, “Rescue teams are working in the areas where drone debris has fallen.” Earlier, the mayor had stated that 186 drones were shot down while approaching Moscow.
This is the first parliamentary election since Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin is expected to present the results as evidence of public support for Putin’s policies and the war effort. The war is now in its fifth year, with no signs of an imminent end.
The ruling ‘United Russia’ party, backed by President Vladimir Putin, is expected to retain its dominance over the ‘State Duma’—the 450-seat lower house of parliament. It currently holds 310 seats. To maintain the ability to amend the constitution without support from other parties, the party needs to win at least 300 seats. Preliminary results are likely to start coming in at 7 PM today (UK time), with the full results expected by tomorrow.
‘Yabloko’ is the only Russian party that openly advocates for peace; however, it has been barred from contesting the election. All 10 parties appearing on the ballot support the war. In a televised address prior to the start of the election, Putin stated, “Your choice and your will will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand with our soldiers.”
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said in a social media post, “Our long-range strikes in the Moscow region last night had a massive impact. A key facility in Russia’s oil industry and a logistics hub were targeted; these represent assets worth billions of dollars.” Zelenskyy added, “Moscow must end this brutal war and choose the path of peace instead of deploying multiple layers of air defense at the expense of other regions.”