Ukraine Launches Major Drone Attack on Moscow, Zelensky Calls It ‘Reprisal for June 15’

June 18, Kathmandu – Ukraine has carried out a significant drone attack on Moscow, the capital of Russia. International media sources describe this as the largest attack Ukraine has launched on Moscow since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. Approximately 200 drones targeted multiple locations across Moscow, causing explosions. Images have surfaced showing widespread fires and large plumes of smoke in several areas. Moscow Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported that 17 people were injured in the Ukrainian attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that at least 1,000 Ukrainian drones and four cruise missiles had been downed across the country within the last 24 hours. Additionally, there were reports of an attack on an oil depot in the Rostov region of southern Russia, which resulted in one fatality. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the drone strike on Moscow as “reprisal for June 15.” During a press briefing on Thursday, he said the attack was a response to Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on June 15.

That Russian attack on June 15 resulted in four deaths in Kyiv and nine fatalities nationwide. Zelensky stated, “If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too,” adding, “Ukraine responds to every attack. We will not stay silent.” He also called on Russia to end the war immediately, saying, “The time has come to end this war. Russia needs to take necessary diplomatic measures.” Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine never sought war, saying, “We do not want war and never did. But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too.”