A massive Ukrainian drone attack struck Moscow and the surrounding region on Sunday, killing at least two people and injuring six others, according to Russian authorities, as the country entered the final day of its three-day parliamentary election.

Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said Russian air defenses and electronic-warfare systems had shot down or suppressed 249 drones across 17 districts between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. local time.

The attack caused casualties and damage in several residential areas. In the village of Sofyino, in the Ramenskoye district, a drone struck a three-story apartment building, killing a 44-year-old woman and injuring five people, including two children, according to regional authorities.

Another person was killed in the Orekhovo-Zuyevo district after a drone struck a private home, while one person was injured in the Leninsky district, authorities said.

In Ramenskoye, falling drone debris reportedly caused a fire on the roof of a 21-story apartment building. Around 400 people, including 70 children, were evacuated, while several homes and vehicles were damaged.

The attack also reached strategically important infrastructure in the Russian capital.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said several drones reached the premises of the Moscow Oil Refinery in the southeastern Kapotnya district, damaging a facility. He said there were no casualties at the refinery.

Reuters witnesses reported hearing explosions in Moscow and seeing smoke rising from the refinery, although the scale of the damage was not immediately clear. Videos circulating online also appeared to show flames and heavy smoke at the site.

The refinery processed around 11.6 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024, producing significant quantities of gasoline and diesel for the Moscow market. The facility has previously been targeted during the war.

Ukrainian drone manufacturer Fire Point separately claimed that its long-range FP-1 drones had struck a warehouse complex in Sofyino. The company said the strike hit facilities belonging to Modern Warehouse Technologies, although the specific attribution and extent of the damage have not been independently established.

Sobyanin described the assault as the largest drone attack against Moscow and accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt Russia's parliamentary election.

He said more than 1,600 drones had been shot down across Russia since Saturday, including approximately 450 that were heading toward Moscow. He characterized the attack as an attempt to interfere with the election but said Russian defenses had prevented it from achieving that objective.

The attack came on the third and final day of voting for Russia's State Duma. The election is the first parliamentary vote since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian authorities also reported that their air defenses had intercepted hundreds of drones over other regions during the preceding 24 hours. Russia's Defense Ministry said more than 1,100 drones had been shot down overnight across the country, including over occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, according to AP.

Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for the latest strikes.

The attack is part of an intensifying Ukrainian campaign against targets deep inside Russia, particularly oil refineries, fuel depots and other infrastructure connected to Moscow's war effort.

Reuters reported that repeated Ukrainian strikes have disrupted a significant portion of Russia's oil-refining capacity, contributing to fuel shortages, higher prices and long queues at petrol stations in parts of the country.

The Moscow refinery is particularly significant because of its proximity to the capital and its role in supplying fuel to the Moscow market.

The latest attack therefore carries both military and economic significance, demonstrating Ukraine's ability to launch large-scale drone operations far beyond the front line while placing pressure on infrastructure vital to Russia's domestic economy.

The incident also highlights the increasingly blurred line between the battlefield and Russia's rear areas. Moscow has repeatedly accused Kyiv of deliberately targeting civilian and critical infrastructure, while Ukraine has argued that strikes on Russian military-related and energy facilities are part of its effort to weaken Moscow's ability to wage war.

With Russia's parliamentary election entering its final hours, the unprecedented scale of the reported attack has added another layer of security concerns to a vote already taking place under the shadow of the war. (ILKHA)