Drone strikes

Russia said Sunday it had repelled a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack on energy and fuel plants in Moscow and 14 regions, one of the largest such strikes since the start of the two and half-year conflict.

Russian air defenses shot down 11 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, "one of the largest" such strikes ever against the capital, officials said on Wednesday.

"Eleven drones were destroyed" over Moscow and its surrounding region, the defense ministry said.

"This is one of the largest ever attempts to attack Moscow with drones," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

The United States is set to provide Ukraine with a new military aid package valued at 225 million USD, primarily consisting of ammunition, including HIMARS, according to the US military.

The United States has urged Ukraine to cease its attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, citing concerns over potential repercussions on global oil prices and retaliatory actions. The call for restraint comes amidst reports of intensified drone strikes targeting refineries, terminals, and storage facilities in western Russia.

Day 699 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Deadly strikes hit residential buildings in Ukraine and a Russian border region Tuesday as an escalation of aerial attacks also wounded dozens and prompted Kiev to urge speedier Western weapons shipments.

Two Ukrainian combat drones headed for Moscow were shot down, Russian officials said on Wednesday, the latest in a surge of drone attacks targeting the capital.

The attempted attack comes a day after the death toll from strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk rose to nine.

Russia claimed on Monday to have shot down a Ukrainian drone southwest of Moscow, amid a surge in drone attacks targeting the capital.

The incident in the Kaluga region, less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Moscow "affected neither people nor infrastructure", regional governor Vladislav Shapsha wrote on Telegram.

This is what the adviser to the head of the cabinet of the President of Ukraine, Mihail Podolyak, thinks.
"Everything that continues to happen in Russia is an objective historical process. More unidentified drones, more ruins, more civil conflicts, more war..." said Podolyak, reports Unian.

Day 524 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours: