Ukraine attacks Moscow with drones for 3rd straight night, Russian official says

Abbey Fenbert -

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

Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted Moscow overnight on July 19, marking the third night in a row the Russian capital has come under fire.

Russian air defense units intercepted 13 drones flying towards Moscow in under two hours, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported at around 1:46 a.m. local time. No information has been reported regarding casualties or damage.

According to Russian Telegram news channels, eyewitnesses said some of the drones were shot down near Zelenograd, a satellite city 37 kilometers (23 miles) northwest of central Moscow.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports.

The alleged attack comes after two nights of reported drone strikes on Moscow. A wave of drone attacks hit Russia overnight on July 17, with strikes reported in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod, Voronezh, and other regions.

Drones again targeted Moscow on July 18, with blasts heard near Zvenigorod, Istra, and Zelenograd, according to Sobyanin.

Kyiv rarely comments on reports of drone strikes in Russia, though Ukraine regularly launches attacks against military and industrial facilities on Russian territory.

The reported strikes on Moscow come after U.S. President Donald Trump offered the Kremlin 50 days to make a peace deal or face "severe tariffs" from Washington. Before the announcement, Trump reportedly asked President Volodymyr Zelensky during a June phone call if Ukraine was capable of attacking Moscow.

Zelensky allegedly replied that such an attack would be possible if the U.S. supplied the necessary weapons.

After the Financial Times (FT) reported the comments, Trump told the press that Zelensky should not target Moscow and that the U.S. was not planning to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles.

Ukraine war latest: EU agrees on ‘one of its strongest’ Russia sanctions packages after Slovakia lifts veto
Key developments on July 18: * EU agrees on ‘one of its strongest’ Russia sanctions packages after Slovakia lifts veto * UK sanctions Russian intelligence units involved in cyberattacks * Ukrainian drones reportedly attack Moscow for second night in a row * Ukrainian hackers wipe databases at Russia’s Gazprom in major cyberattack, intelligence source says * Ukraine raises flags in villages near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast’s borders, refuting Russia’s claims of capture European Union member stat
The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

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