Ukraine launches 456 drones striking 15 Russian regions

Russia said Monday it intercepted 456 Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks targeting around 15 regions, including Tatarstan in central Russia and annexed Crimea. The strikes hit industrial and civilian sites, leaving several people dead, according to local authorities.

The assault marks one of the largest Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. It follows months of escalating cross-border attacks by Ukraine, which has increasingly used long-range drones to disrupt Russian military logistics, oil refineries, and air defense systems. The timing coincides with Ukraine’s stalled counteroffensive and rising pressure on Western allies to approve more military aid. Russia has accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, while Ukraine frames the strikes as retaliation for Russian attacks on its cities and energy grid.

The drones struck regions far beyond the front lines, including Belgorod, Kursk, and even Tatarstan—more than 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Local officials reported fires, power outages, and damage to factories and oil depots. At least three civilians were killed in Belgorod, and several more were injured across multiple regions. Russian air defenses intercepted most drones, but some slipped through, hitting residential areas. Ukrainian officials have not commented publicly, though President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously vowed to target Russian military assets wherever they are.

Russia is likely to respond with further strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure or increased air defense deployments near its cities. The attacks risk widening the conflict and could force European nations to rethink their support for Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russia. For Ukraine, the drone campaign is a way to degrade Russian war-making capacity and morale, but it also risks civilian casualties that could erode international backing. The strikes underscore how the war has expanded beyond the battlefield, with both sides now targeting each other’s home fronts.