The Russian capital was targeted by the largest-ever wave of Ukrainian kamikaze drones on Tuesday, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries
The Russian Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned what it described as a “barbaric” and “cowardly” attack by Kiev on multiple Russian regions, including Moscow, in the early hours of Tuesday, just ahead of US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia.
The assault, involving a record-large number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), some reportedly loaded with shrapnel to maximize casualties, resulted in three civilian deaths and multiple injuries in the Moscow Region. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a total of 337 Ukrainian drones were neutralized overnight, including 91 near Moscow and 126 over Kursk Region.
“The neo-Nazi Kiev junta has once again proven its terrorist nature,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday evening, suggesting the attack was deliberately timed to coincide with diplomatic discussions in Saudi Arabia and a visit by the OSCE Secretary General to Moscow.
“Without a doubt, this drone attack was planned in advance and timed to coincide with today’s US-Ukraine contacts on conflict resolution held in Saudi Arabia. It was also a message to new OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu,” Moscow said, accusing the “Kiev clique, which is suffering daily defeats on the battlefield,” of attempting to show its ability to negotiate “from a position of strength.”
Following the talks in Saudi Arabia, Kiev agreed to a US-proposed “immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire” with Russia, while Washington lifted restrictions on military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. Russia has yet to issue an official response to the developments in Jeddah.
“The Zelensky regime, which has lost its grip on reality, has clearly shown a glaring lack of political will for achieving peace and a negotiated settlement of the conflict. It remains obsessed with the idea of defeating Russia, widely using cynical methods of terror and seeking to draw its backers into its aggressive actions,” the ministry stated before the Jeddah talks concluded.
US President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that he would likely hold phone talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin soon, expressing hope that Moscow would agree to the proposed 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.
Moscow has previously indicated that any temporary ceasefire deal is unacceptable, arguing it would only allow Kiev to regroup and rearm, insisting on a permanent, legally binding solution that addresses the core causes of the conflict. Putin stated in January that Russia is seeking a long-term peace based on respect and the legitimate interests of all people living in the region.
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