Russia says it intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones overnight in one of the largest aerial attacks since the war began more than four years ago, escalating tensions just before Moscow’s annual Victory Day commemorations.
According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, air defence systems destroyed 347 drones across 20 regions, including the capital, Moscow. Officials described it as Ukraine’s second-largest drone operation since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The strikes came days after Moscow rejected a ceasefire proposal from Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia had instead announced its own unilateral truce for Friday and Saturday to coincide with Victory Day events marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of ignoring Ukraine’s goodwill gesture and continuing attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets. In a statement, he said Moscow had not halted any military operations and vowed Ukraine would respond “symmetrically.”
Ukrainian officials reported fresh Russian strikes overnight, including drone attacks in Kharkiv, where local authorities said nine people, including three children, were injured. Ukraine’s military claimed it intercepted 92 of the 102 drones launched by Russia during the same period.
Security concerns surrounding the upcoming Victory Day celebrations have intensified across Russia. Authorities announced that mobile internet and text messaging services in Moscow will be temporarily suspended on May 9 as part of heightened security measures.
For the first time in nearly two decades, Moscow’s Victory Day military parade is also expected to proceed without the traditional display of tanks, missiles and other heavy military equipment. Russian officials cited the current operational situation and concerns over potential Ukrainian attacks as reasons for the changes.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the government was taking extraordinary precautions to guarantee public safety amid what he described as a “complex operational situation.”
The latest escalation comes as U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to negotiate a peace settlement continue to stall, while both Russia and Ukraine increasingly rely on large-scale drone warfare to pressure each other far from the front lines.