Russia hit by 337 drones in 'largest attack in three years' ahead of crunch Ukraine-US talks in Saudi Arabia
11 March 2025, 06:41 | Updated: 11 March 2025, 08:14
Russia has claimed sixty-nine Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow have been shot down, as Zelenskyy departed Saudi Arabia ahead of crunch talks between Ukraine and top US diplomats.
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The targeting of Moscow forms part of a wider wave of attacks which took place on Tuesday morning, with Russia claiming its air defences shot down 337 Ukrainian drones - the largest attack by Ukraine in three years.
Russia confirmed that one arm of the large-scale attack targeted the nation's capital, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, with 10 regions targeted overnight.
One death has so far been reported following the attack, with at least 11 of the drones shot down in the Ramensky and Domodedovo districts of the Moscow.
The attack coincided with crucial negotiations taking place between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, with suggestions a partial ceasefire with Russia could be on the cards.
The draft ceasefire is suspected to cover the Black Sea, long-range missile strikes, in addition to the release of prisoners, two senior Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
The region is a residential area surrounding the Russian capital, with news of the attack first emerging on messaging app Telegram.
Moscow's mayor did not specify where the other drones were shot down, noting only that they were "flying towards Moscow".
126 drones were shot down over the Kursk region across the border from Ukraine, with 91 further drones shot from the skies across the region.
The attack comes as President Zelenskyy departed Saudi Arabia ahead of talks between Ukraine officials and US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Mr Zelenskyy will not attend the crunch talks, in a bid to improve relations in the wake of his very public fall out with President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance in Washington earlier in the month.
The Oval Office clash - branded an "ambush by many - saw voices raised in front of the world's waiting media, with Ukraine's future left hanging in the balance as European leaders banded together in support of the nation.
Mr Zelenskyy briefly met with Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following a day of fasting for Ramadan on Monday.
On Monday, the governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, said one person was killed and three more wounded as a result of the drone attack.
The attack damaged seven apartments in a residential building in the Ramensky district, he said.
Mr Sobyanin said the roof of a building in Moscow also sustained damage, which he described as "insignificant."
Footage of the building, published by Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti, showed a charred spot on the facade of a multi-story residential building near the roof, with bits of the building's lining stripped off.
Mr Sobyanin said the roof of a building in Moscow also sustained damage, which he described as "insignificant."
Footage of the building, published by Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti, showed a charred spot on the facade of a multi-story residential building near the roof, with bits of the building's lining stripped off.
The attack, the biggest on Moscow in months, came on the day of US-Ukraine negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
Authorities also reported shooting down or jamming drones in the Kaluga, Ryazan, Tula and Vladimir regions adjacent to the Moscow region, as well as the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine.
