Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
France 24
France 24
Politics
FRANCE 24

Live: Ukraine launches ‘largest ever’ drone attack on Moscow as Russia wraps up elections

A damaged multi-story residential building hit by what authorities described as a Ukrainian drone strike in Kotelniki in the Moscow region, Russia, September, 20, 20
A damaged multi-story residential building hit by what authorities described as a Ukrainian drone strike in Kotelniki in the Moscow region, Russia, September, 20, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters

Death toll in drone attack on Moscow rises to three

The death toll in the largest Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow reported so far has risen to three, according to Russian authorities.

Two ‌people were killed in the early-morning attacks and a third died of his injuries later in hospital, the Moscow region's governor, Andrei Vorobyov, said on Telegram.

Russia reports mass cyberattacks targeting elections

Russia's electoral chief has said that there were more than 1,000 waves of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks targeting Russian election infrastructure in recent days.

DDoS attacks involve overwhelming a system with internet traffic so that it is unable to function normally.

"Over the past period, more than 1,000 waves of DDoS attacks have been recorded against infrastructure in Russia that is specifically involved in the electoral process," the chair of Russia's Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Ukraine launches massive drone attack on Russia

Plumes of smoke rise from fires (centre) at an oil refinery following what the authorities say is a Ukrainian drone strike in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, September, 20, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters

Ukraine hits Russia with major drone attack, targeting refinery

Voters in Russia are on the third and final day of casting ballots in the country's first wartime parliamentary election. Ukraine carried out what Moscow described as the "largest ever" drone attack on the Russian capital, reportedly firing over 1,000 drones at the country, leaving two dead in the Moscow region and inflicting damage upon an oil refinery. FRANCE 24's correspondent in Kyiv Gulliver Cragg provides more details.

Russian strike kills four in the Kyiv region

A Russian strike in the Kyiv region has killed at least four people, three of them children, the Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday.

The attack late on Saturday also damaged 31 sites, including apartment buildings, a warehouse and farming and industrial infrastructure, according to regional governor Timur Tkachenko.

"A child who was wounded in the enemy's attack in the Vychgorod district died in hospital. The number of people killed in the Kyiv region has risen to four: three children and a woman," Tkachenko posted on Telegram.

Mass drone barrage on Moscow kills two

Hundreds of drones targeting Moscow and its surrounding region killed at least two people and damaged a major refinery on the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, the authorities said.

The capital's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow.

  • Ukraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia, including hundreds launched at Moscow
  • Moscow mayor slams major drone barrage aiming to 'disrupt' Russia's elections
  • Russian strike kills four in the Kyiv region
  • Death toll in drone attack on Moscow rises to three

Putin says Europe is 'preparing for war'

As the West continues to denounce Russian aggression in Ukraine and to support Kyiv with a host of economic and military measures, Russian President Vladimir Putin says that NATO is expanding its reach and influence with the intention of preparing for war with Russia.

Analysis by Alexander Titov, lecturer in Modern European History at Queen's University Belfast in the UK.

In photos: Mass drone barrage on Moscow kills two, hits oil refinery

Flame and smoke is seen rising from Moscow's oil refinery in the south east of the city following a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack, September 20, 2026. © UGC via AP

Plumes of smoke rise from fires (centre) at an oil refinery following what the authorities say is a Ukrainian drone strike in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, September, 20, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters

Smoke rises from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery as seen from Dzerzhinsky in the Moscow region on September 20, 2026. © AFP



Men stand in the courtyard of a damaged multi-story residential building hit by what authorities described as a Ukrainian drone strike, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Kotelniki in the Moscow region, Russia, September, 20, 2026. © Stringer, Reuters

A view shows a damaged multi-story apartment building following a drone attack in Kotelniki in the Moscow region on September 20, 2026. © AFP

Elections in Russia: the 1001 tricks to remove inconvenient candidates

Ukraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia, including hundreds launched at Moscow

Ukrainian forces fired more than 1,000 drones at Russia overnight, officials said Sunday, including what Moscow’s mayor described as the “largest ever” attack on the Russian capital.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that its forces shot down 1,100 Ukrainian drones across the country, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the waters of the Black Sea.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 450 drones had been destroyed en route to the Russian capital. Some drones hit the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building, he said.

Russia says it struck warehouse of Ukrainian drone maker

Russia's ⁠defence ​ministry said that it had struck ​a ‌warehouse ⁠of Ukrainian ‌drone and missile maker ⁠Fire Point in Kyiv ​region, as ‌well as a cargo vessel ‌in the ​port of Odesa and a postal ​logistics centre ​in Odesa region, ​which it ​said were used for military shipments.

Russian drone attack killed a mother and her two small children near Kyiv

A ​Russian drone ​attack killed a mother and her ​two ‌3-year-old ⁠children in ‌Ukraine's Kyiv region overnight, ⁠the emergency service said.

The ‌drone strike hit a ‌private home, ​the service said.

Russia has been attacking ​the capital ​Kyiv and ​the surrounding Kyiv ​region with drones continually in recent ⁠weeks.

Moscow mayor slams major drone barrage aiming to 'disrupt' Russia's elections

Moscow's mayor accused Ukraine of launching an "unprecedented" attack involving more than 1,600 drones toward Russia, with the aim of "disrupting" the country's parliamentary elections.

Of the barrage of drones Russian air defences shot down, 450 were heading towards the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

"The unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections. The enemy did not succeed," he said on Telegram, as Russians vote on Sunday for the third and final day of the country's first legislative elections since the Kremlin launched a large-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022.

Facility at Moscow oil refinery damaged in drone attack, TASS reports

⁠A ⁠facility ​on ​the premises of the Moscow ​oil ‌refinery ⁠was ‌damaged as a ⁠result of a drone ​attack ‌on the Russian capital, ‌state news ​agency TASS reported on Sunday, citing ​Moscow's mayor.

No ​casualties ​were reported, ​the report said.

Cast as test of support for Ukraine war, Russian elections enters final day

A ​parliamentary election that President Vladimir Putin has cast as a test of support for Russia's war in Ukraine entered its third and final day on Sunday, with the ruling United Russia party expected to retain its dominance in a political system critics say does not tolerate dissent.

The State Duma ​vote, the first ‌since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, is likely to be presented by the ⁠Kremlin as evidence of public backing for Putin's policies and for the war, Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two, now in its fifth year with no sign of ending soon.

Yesterday's key developments:

  • The United States approved a potential $2.68 billion sale of air defence equipment to Ukraine on Friday, after Kyiv made repeated pleas for support to fend off Russian attacks.

  • ⁠A ⁠Russian glide ​bomb hit ​an apartment building in the northern Ukrainian city of ​Sumy ‌on Friday, ⁠killing two people and ‌injuring seven, three of ⁠them in serious condition.

  • Russia’s parliamentary election for the first time included residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.