Ukraine, Russia Launch Major Attacks

Russian officials on Wednesday accused Ukraine of launching what appeared to be the biggest nighttime drone attack on Russian soil since the war began 18 months ago. The Kremlin's forces also hit Kyiv during the night with what Ukrainian officials called a "massive, combined attack" that killed two people, per the AP. Drones struck an airport in western Russia's Pskov region near the border with Estonia and Latvia, damaging four Il-76 transport aircraft that can carry heavy machinery, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials. The airport strike, which was first reported minutes before midnight, started a massive fire, the regional governor and local media reported. The governor said there were no casualties.

Unconfirmed media reports said up to 20 drones may have targeted the airport. More drones were shot down over the Oryol, Bryansk, Ryazan, and Kaluga regions, as well as the region surrounding the Russian capital, according to the Defense Ministry. Three main Moscow region airports—Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo—temporarily halted incoming and outgoing flights. Aerial attacks on Russian soil have escalated in recent months as Ukraine pursues a counteroffensive to drive the invading forces out of its territory. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia's military assets behind the front lines in the country's east and south. The Kremlin has repeatedly accused the Ukrainian military of also launching drones toward Moscow.

Russia, meanwhile, used drones and missiles in its biggest bombardment of Ukraine's capital in months, Ukrainian authorities said. Two people were killed and another person was injured by falling debris, Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration, wrote on Telegram. Russia launched Shahed exploding drones at the city from various directions and then followed with missiles from Tu-95MS strategic aircraft, Popko said. It was unclear how many were launched, but Popko called the attack the biggest on the capital since the spring. Ukraine's air defenses destroyed 28 cruise missiles and 15 of 16 Iranian-made Shahed attack drones targeting the capital and multiple regions across the country overnight, the Ukrainian air force said in its daily Telegram update on Wednesday. (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)