Ukraine Targets Russian Cities in Overnight Drone Barrage

Russian authorities reported widespread drone activity during the night of July 17, with Ukrainian drones reportedly approaching several regions, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. The coordinated drone strikes marked another escalation in Ukraine's ongoing campaign targeting Russian territory, particularly in areas far from the front line.

In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced that air defense systems intercepted three drones approaching the capital between 2 and 3 a.m. local time. Emergency services were dispatched to the areas, but no damage or casualties were officially reported. In St. Petersburg, air traffic at Pulkovo Airport was briefly suspended around 5 a.m., reportedly due to the drone threat. According to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), the disruption led to delays for at least ten outbound flights. Meanwhile, TASS reported that drones were brought down near the city using electronic warfare equipment.

Elsewhere in western Russia, regional officials also reported significant drone activity. In Smolensk Oblast, Governor Vasily Anokhin stated that 14 drones were intercepted overnight, with one person reportedly injured. The situation in Belgorod was more severe—Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed one person was killed and six others wounded in a drone attack on the regional capital. Another person was also reportedly injured elsewhere in the oblast.

Further south in Voronezh, a drone reportedly hit a residential building, injuring three children. Regional authorities confirmed that five drones were intercepted over the area. In Kaluga Oblast, officials reported that a 14-year-old girl was wounded after three drones were shot down during the night.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that a total of 122 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted across multiple regions of the country. The Ukrainian side has not issued a comment regarding the latest wave of attacks. Independent verification of the Russian claims remains unavailable, as official statements and media coverage in the country are subject to tight state control.

These drone attacks followed a series of Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory. In Nikopol, a so-called "double-tap" drone attack injured five people, among them three emergency service personnel. Earlier the same day, a 500-kilogram aerial bomb dropped by Russian forces struck a shopping center in Donetsk Oblast, leaving two dead and 28 injured.

Russian forces have been increasing the intensity of their air attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. The night before the drone strikes on Russia, waves of Russian drones and missiles hit multiple Ukrainian regions, resulting in blackouts and civilian casualties even in areas far removed from the front lines. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia launched over 1,800 long-range drones during the previous week alone. On July 9, a record 728 Shahed-type drones and decoys were reportedly deployed in a single day.

In response to Russia’s growing aerial campaign, U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a deadline to Moscow. On July 16, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has 50 days to agree to a peace deal or face heavy tariffs imposed by Washington. Trump also confirmed that U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems are currently en route to Ukraine, following the announcement of a new NATO-coordinated weapons delivery initiative designed to bolster Kyiv's defensive capabilities.