Ukraine launched one of the largest air offensives against Russian territory since the beginning of the war, with hundreds of drones directed at Moscow, while Russia responded with new attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities. The overall death toll in the raids is at least twelve. And amid the escalation, a Spanish F-18 engaged in a NATO air policing mission shot down a drone that had entered Romanian airspace. According to the Alliance's military headquarters, the aircraft "appears to be Russian," although investigations are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are working on their own format for future negotiations on Ukraine, seeking to ensure Europe has a direct role in any potential peace process and avoid a Washington-Moscow agreement that would sideline European allies. According to the New York Times, citing five European officials, Paris and Berlin are leading the effort, while London is moving more cautiously to avoid further compromising its "special relationship" with the United States and its ties with President Donald Trump. The E3 initiative would also respond to Volodymyr Zelensky's request to guarantee Kiev and Europe a seat at the table: "We can't leave this issue solely in Trump's hands," European chancellors continue to repeat.
Meanwhile, the last few hours have marked a new acceleration in the long-distance war. The Russian Defense Ministry claims to have downed around 1,500 Ukrainian drones across the country. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that around 600 were headed toward the capital, while Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov called it "one of the most massive" offensives in recent years.
The worst toll in Russia was recorded in the southern Rostov region, where five people were killed. Another victim was reported in the Moscow region, where a drone struck the home of an 83-year-old man, and a seventh in the Belgorod region, in an attack on a bus. In Podolsk, south of the Russian capital, a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce group, was hit again. Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce group, had already been targeted in recent weeks by Ukraine, accused of contributing to Moscow's military logistics. According to Kiev, seven out of ten Wildberries logistics centers were knocked out. A fire was also reported at a pharmaceutical warehouse in Domodedovo. Kiev also claimed responsibility for hitting a rocket fuel production facility in the Rostov region.
