Multiple Ukrainian drones downed en route to Moscow – mayor
At least ten Ukrainian long-range drones were intercepted on Monday as they headed toward Moscow, the Russian capital’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced. No casualties or damage were reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry had stated earlier that ten Ukrainian drones had been downed between 8am and 2pm Moscow time, including two believed to be targeting the capital.
Overnight, Russian air defenses intercepted 93 Ukrainian unmanned aircraft over various regions of Russia as well as the Black and Azov seas, according to the military.
The attempted strikes come as Ukrainian forces face mounting battlefield setbacks. On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said its troops had liberated two neighborhoods in the city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the preceding 24 hours.
The Ukrainian government is also under pressure amid a major corruption scandal involving close associates of Vladimir Zelensky, who allegedly ran a large-scale kickback operation in the energy sector using foreign funds.
Compounding the pressure, the US has presented Kiev with peace plan proposal reportedly requiring territorial concessions to Russia. Ukraine’s European backers have taken issue with the terms of the deal, calling for substantial revisions.
US and Ukrainian officials held discussions on the proposed deal in Geneva over the weekend, with the Trump administration reportedly arguing that Kiev risks worse terms in the future if it refuses to compromise.
Moscow has distanced itself from the debate over the leaked drafts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia only comments on proposals received through official diplomatic channels and will not react to documents circulated in the media.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that his country has the upper hand on the battlefield and will achieve its strategic aims regardless of whether Ukraine accepts US-brokered mediation.
