Jan 5 (Reuters) – Ukraine has targeted Moscow with drones every day so far in 2026, according to data released by the Russian Defense Ministry, appearing to mark an escalation in previously sporadic attacks on the Russian capital.
As of midnight on Sunday, Russian air defenses had destroyed 57 drones over the Moscow region, with 437 of them shot down, the ministry said on its Telegram messaging app.
The day-to-day activity points to a shift from past patterns, when Moscow was hit more intermittently, often around symbolic dates or as a form of signaling, rather than in near-routine pressure operations.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, but Kyiv is increasingly using long-range drones to strike targets in Russia.
Ukraine says such attacks are aimed at damaging military logistics and energy infrastructure, increasing the cost of Moscow’s war and responding to repeated missile and drone attacks by Russia in the war it launched nearly four years ago.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported numerous interceptions since New Year’s Eve but gave no further details.
Russia typically reports only how many drones its air defenses say it has shot down, not how many drones Ukraine has launched, and rarely discloses the full extent of damage unless civilians are killed or civilian facilities are hit.
Russia’s aviation regulator Rosaviatsiya said on Telegram that the attacks forced the temporary closure of Moscow Airport and dozens of other airports in Russia for security reasons.
The disruption occurred during Russia’s extended New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays, which this year last until January 9, during which many Russians vacation and travel domestically and abroad, making it one of the busiest periods for traffic and tourism in the country.
According to RIA Novosti state news calculations, Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyed at least 1,548 Ukrainian drones over the past week over Russian territory and the Crimean Peninsula.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
