Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Moscow During Russian Parliamentary Election
Overview of the Ukrainian Drone Attack on Moscow
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Moscow and surrounding regions on the night of 19-20 September in what Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described as the biggest drone attack on the capital to date. [3] The strikes also involved Flamingo cruise missiles and targeted a facility at Moscow's Kapotnya oil refinery, where three units were damaged and fires produced visible smoke as voting began. [2] [1] Three people were killed in the Moscow region and two more died in the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Kherson region, including an election official. [1] [3] A facility at the Moscow oil refinery caught fire after the drone attack, with flames and columns of smoke rising from the site on the city's outskirts. [1] Ukrainian forces additionally struck a Buk-M3 air defence system, a Nebo-U radar station and a drone production site in occupied territories. [2]
Russian Claims of Interception and Retaliation Threat
Russia's Defence Ministry claimed it had downed nearly 2,000 Ukrainian drones targeting various regions and eight cruise missiles in the last 24 hours. [1] [2] The ministry alleged that 1,951 Ukrainian UAVs and eight cruise missiles were shot down over the course of the day and said the attempted attack on Moscow had failed. [2] Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that the biggest attack by enemy drones had been repelled and that the unprecedented strike was clearly planned to disrupt the elections, though the enemy did not succeed. [1] [3] In response to the attacks on civilian infrastructure, the Russian Defence Ministry vowed to intensify strikes on Ukrainian military targets in Kyiv. [2] [1]
Smoke rises from a fire at Moscow's Kapotnya oil refinery after Ukrainian drone attack. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Impact on Russia's Parliamentary Election
The drone strikes coincided with the final day of Russia's three-day parliamentary election for the State Duma, the first such vote since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022. [1] [3] Russia's ruling United Russia party led with 57.5 percent of the vote in partial official results, while other parties trailed by a wide margin but remained on course to win seats. [1] Election authorities reported that voting systems faced waves of cyberattacks yet said the electoral process had been mostly smooth. [1] Turnout reached nearly 57 percent as of early evening Moscow time, according to Central Election Commission data. [1] The election was also organised in Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia. [5]
Political Reactions and Defiance in Russia
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, declared that United Russia had performed with dignity and that Russians had entrusted it to govern further. [1] Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said the attacks had not deterred voters and that the more pressure applied, the more unprecedented public unity was visible. [1] Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin asserted that the attack had been planned to disrupt the elections but failed. [3] In an act of defiance, Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov demonstrably spoiled his ballot paper by writing his party's name and the slogan "For peace". [1] [3] Russia's opposition in exile had called on those opposed to the authorities to stand in line at voting stations at noon, resulting in long lines forming in some locations. [1]
Smoke rises from the Kapotnya oil refinery in Moscow after Ukrainian drone attack. — Source: taipei-times
Ukrainian Strikes on Occupied Territories and Russian Response in Kyiv Oblast
Ukraine's defence forces hit a Russian Buk-M3 air defence system, a Nebo-U radar station and a drone production site on occupied territories during the overnight operation. [2] Separately, Russian UAVs caused fires at warehouses and damaged company buildings and cars in three districts of Kyiv Oblast. [4] In the Bucha district a car was damaged and a fire was extinguished, while in the Boryspil district a fire broke out at warehouse premises and a canopy and car were damaged on a residential property. [4] In the Fastiv district company buildings and cars were damaged, including one Eko Market warehouse, though early reports indicated no killed or injured. [4]
Broader Context of the Election and War
The State Duma vote is expected to see the ruling United Russia party retain dominance in a tightly controlled political system that critics say does not tolerate genuine dissent. [3] Most anti-war candidates have been barred from the ballot, and those who ran from the liberal Yabloko party feared for their freedom after courts handed long jail terms to two senior party figures for comments about the conflict. [1] [3] Kyiv, which has suspended its own elections under martial law, has dismissed the Russian vote as a "pseudo election". [1] [3] The Kremlin is likely to present the results as evidence of public backing for President Vladimir Putin's policies and for the war, now in its fifth year. [1] [3]
What to watch next: Russia's Defence Ministry has said it will intensify strikes on Ukrainian military targets, while the Kremlin is expected to frame the election outcome as support for the war effort.
