In an escalation of the ongoing conflict, Ukraine carried out its largest drone strike on Moscow, launching at least 34 drones at the Russian capital. The drone attack forced the diversion of flights from three of Moscow’s major airports and resulted in at least one injury.
On November 10, 2024, Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported that the country’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed 36 additional drones over various regions of Western Russia within a span of three hours. However, there are no independent verifications of these claims, raising questions about the scale and effectiveness of Russia’s defense systems.
The drone attack prompted major flight disruptions at Moscow’s airports, including Domodedovo (DME), Sheremetyevo (SVO), and Zhukovsky (ZIA), with at least 36 flights being diverted, as reported first by Reuters. Although airport operations resumed shortly afterward, the incident serves as a stark reminder of Ukraine’s increased capabilities in long-range drone warfare.
Ukraine’s air defenses also played a key role in countering Russia’s overnight offensive, which saw 145 Russian drones launched at Ukrainian targets so far. Ukraine claimed to have downed 62 of them, including several targeting key infrastructure such as oil refineries and early-warning radar stations.
Videos circulating online, capture Ukrainian drones flying over Russia, with accompanying images of burning wreckage, claimed to have been destroyed by Russian defenses.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have quickly adjusted to the rising use of drones, transforming them into a new powerful weapon. As the war continues, these advancements in military tactics are likely to play a bigger role, with both sides relying more on drone strikes and counterattacks.
This is the largest drone attack on Moscow so far since Russia launched the conflict in 2022.