Russia downed over 3,000 Ukrainian drones in past week, state media reports
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Russian air defenses downed 3,124 Ukrainian drones over Russia and Russian-occupied territory over the past week, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on May 17, citing data from the Russian Defense Ministry.
The alleged figures, which the Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify, follow Kyiv's largest attack on Moscow in over a year on May 17 in which Kyiv reportedly launched 1,054 Ukrainian drones at Russia, as well as eight guided aerial bombs, and two newly developed Ukrainian missiles.
The attack, which targeted military production sites and other infrastructure, including the Moscow Oil Refinery, damaged residential buildings in the Russian capital and killed three people.
RIA Novosti reported that in addition to the large-scale attack on May 17, 572 drones were also reportedly downed over Russian various on May 13 in an attack that primarily targeted oil and gas facilities.
The uptick in drone attacks come as Kyiv has increased the frequency and intensity of long-range strikes within Russia, as Kyiv seeks to pressure Moscow to end its war by putting additional strain on its military-industrial complex.
President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the Ukrainian military's efforts in delivering "significant" long-range strikes on Moscow overnight on May 16-17, describing them as part of a broader shift in momentum in Kyiv’s favor.
"Many (Western) partners are now signaling that they see what is happening and how everything has changed – both in attitudes toward this war and in the reachability of Russian targets on Russian territory," Zelensky said of the attacks in his evening address on May 17.
"As I said yesterday, Russians should be thinking about their refineries, their oil facilities and enterprises," the Ukrainian president added, in a thinly veiled reference to Ukraine's long-range strike capability.
Following the attack on the Russian capital, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on May 17 that Moscow could restart dialogue with Brussels as European officials continue debate the diplomatic engagement amid growing uncertainty over the United States' efforts to end Russia's war.
