Ukraine attack on Moscow region 'completely fair response,' Zelensky says

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Ukraine attacked the Moscow region overnight on May 16–17, targeting military production sites and other infrastructure, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky called a fair response for Russia's attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Russian authorities and local reports said that residential buildings had been damaged in the attack and that at least three people had been killed.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) later confirmed that it had conducted the operation jointly with Ukraine's Armed Forces, targeting military-industrial and fuel infrastructure in Moscow Oblast, as well as air defense systems and infrastructure at the Belbek military airfield in occupied Crimea.

According to the SBU, the targets in Moscow Oblast included the sanctioned Angstrem plant, which manufactures semiconductors for Russia's military-industrial complex, the Moscow Oil Refinery, the Solnechnogorsk fuel pumping station, and the Volodarskoye fuel pumping station.

In occupied Crimea, the SBU said the strikes targeted a Pantsir-S2 air defense system, a hangar with radar equipment for an S-400 system, Orion and Forpost drone control systems, a ground-to-air data transmission point, as well as an air traffic control tower and hangar at Belbek airfield.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses had intercepted 1,054 Ukrainian drones, eight guided aerial bombs, and two newly developed Ukrainian missiles over the past day.

According to the ministry, Russian forces shot down a Flamingo long-range cruise missile and a Neptune-MD guided missile. Ukraine has not commented on the reported use of the missiles.

Videos circulating on social media after 3 a.m. appear to show flashes in the sky and fires in numerous locations. Reports mentioned explosions in Moscow Oblast's Khimki, Klin, and Zelenograd, activity near Sheremetyevo Airport, and blasts in central Moscow.

Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed that at least three people were killed in the attack, including two in the village of Pogorelki and one in Khimki. He added that others were injured across multiple districts after drones struck residential buildings and houses.

Sobyanin said 12 people were injured near the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district, which he described as one of the targets of the attack. Most of the injured were construction workers near the refinery checkpoint.

Zelensky later commented on the attack, calling it "a completely fair response" to Russia’s ongoing strikes against Ukrainian cities.

"This time, Ukrainian long-range capabilities reached the Moscow region. We clearly tell the Russians: their state must end its war," Zelensky said, adding that the targets were located more than 500 kilometers (around 310 miles) from Ukraine's border despite the heavy concentration of Russian air defenses around Moscow.

Astra, an independently run Russian Telegram channel, reported that the Elma technopark in Zelenograd was struck and caught fire. The park hosts companies working in microelectronics, radio electronics, optical systems, robotics, information technology, and scientific research.

Astra also reported that the Solnechnogorsk fuel loading station in Moscow Oblast was attacked and caught fire. The facility is part of the fuel pipeline infrastructure around Moscow and is used for the storage, transfer, and shipment of gasoline and diesel fuel.

Russian Telegram channel Supernova+ also reported that the Raduga Machine-Building Design Bureau in Dubna, Moscow Oblast, was targeted during the attack. The facility manufactures cruise missiles and other missile systems.

The attacks caused major disruptions at Moscow airports. Around 200 flights were delayed or canceled at Sheremetyevo Airport following the attack, while nearly 100 flights were delayed or canceled at Vnukovo Airport, according to online airport timetables.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the claims made by Russian authorities or footage circulating online.

Later on May 17, Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said Ukrainian drones struck a Russian patrol boat near Kaspiysk in Russia’s Dagestan republic overnight, located nearly 1,000 kilometers (around 620 miles) from the front line.

The attacks come days after Russia introduced new restrictions on reporting the aftermath of drone strikes, banning the publication of photos, videos, or details without official authorization.

Violators face fines ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles ($38–$64) for individuals, up to 50,000 rubles ($640) for officials, and up to 200,000 rubles ($2,500) for legal entities.