Ukraine launches hundreds of drones at Russia as peace talks kick off – Washington Examiner
Ukraine has launched its largest drone attack on russia, targeting Moscow with hundreds of drones. Early reports indicate that the Russian Defense Ministry intercepted 337 drones, including 91 over the city itself. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the assault as unprecedented in scale. The strike resulted in the death of two workers and injuries to 18 others, and also damages to seven apartment buildings, prompting evacuations in the affected areas.
This offensive occurred just hours before anticipated peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, involving Ukrainian officials and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Kremlin spokesman dmitry Peskov suggested the drone strikes could aim to disrupt these discussions,though he noted that formal negotiations had not yet commenced. Additionally, Russia hinted at the possibility of retaliatory strikes against Kyiv using advanced missile technology. Meanwhile, Russia also conducted its own missile and drone strikes on ukraine, exacerbating the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine launches hundreds of drones at Russia as peace talks kick off
Hundreds of Ukrainian drones hit Russia during Kyiv’s biggest-ever attack on Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced it intercepted 337 drones during the Ukrainian attack early on Tuesday morning, including 91 over Moscow. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the attacks as the “largest” Ukrainian drone attack ever on Russia’s capital, which is the country’s biggest city with roughly nine million residents.
The strikes, which killed two workers at a meat-packing facility and injured 18 others, came hours ahead of preliminary peace talks brokered by the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with his Ukrainian counterparts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, “to get a general sense of what concessions are in the realm of the possible for [Ukraine] and what they would need in return” from Russia.
Seven apartments in a residential building were damaged, and 12 people, including three children, were evacuated from their flats during the strikes, per Sobyanin. Four of Russia’s largest airports —Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky — suspended flights during the strikes, as did airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions to the east of Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is “possible” the Ukrainian strikes were meant to disrupt the Jeddah peace meeting on Tuesday, according to ABC News.
“There are no negotiations yet. So far, the Americans, in their own words, are trying to understand how ready Ukraine is for peace talks. There are no negotiations yet, so there is nothing to disrupt here yet,” he said. “But the fact that it is possible to spoil the emerging trend, yes.”
Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, a leading Russian lawmaker, suggested a retaliatory strike against Kyiv using the “Oreshnik” hypersonic missile could be forthcoming, according to state-run media. The Oreshnik is a new, advanced experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile that travels to its target at 10 times the speed of sound. It was used by Russia for the first time in November 2024.
Kartapolov said he believed using the Oreshnik against Ukraine could be “useful,” although he added that the final decision would be up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine was also hit by a Russian ballistic missile and 126 drones early on Tuesday morning.
Many drones failed to meet their targets, but there was one apparent casualty based on a CNN review of released figures.
US DEMANDING UKRAINE TRADE LAND FOR PEACE, AS TALKS WITH RUBIO OPEN IN SAUDI ARABIA
When Russia hit Ukraine with massive missile and drone strikes earlier this month, President Donald Trump threatened to put new tariffs and sanctions on Moscow until a ceasefire is reached. The March 7 strikes, using nearly 70 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 attack drones, targeted Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale banking sanctions, sanctions, and tariffs on Russia until a cease fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump said in a Truth Social post responding to the bombardment. “To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he added.
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