The Moscow Attack Was Worse Than Russia Admitted

(KYIV) – Ukraine’s overnight strike on Moscow has proven significantly more extensive than initial Russian reports acknowledged, with geolocated flight paths and strike analysis revealing that Ukrainian drones penetrated multiple defensive layers surrounding the Russian capital before striking oil infrastructure, pumping stations, industrial sites, and logistics targets.

According to monitoring channels and geolocation of explosions and air defence activity, the main drone routes have been reconstructed. Yellow lines indicate drone flight paths, red dots mark confirmed interceptions, and yellow diamonds show successful hits. “The fourth outer ring defence line was penetrated with almost no issues. The third and second lines, the Russians responded much more actively. The most interceptions occurred there. Despite this, we still broke through and struck the planned targets,” the analysis noted.

Ukraine struck key military and industrial targets deep inside Russia using domestically produced drones in a major overnight attack. The ISW confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck several Russian defence industrial plants and oil infrastructure objects in Moscow city and Moscow Oblast overnight on 16 to 17 May.

“Ukraine’s May 16 to 17 strike series proves that Russia continues to be unable to effectively defend the Russian capital,” the assessment stated, describing the failure as a weakness generating significant frustration in the Russian ultranationalist information space.

Targets around Moscow included the Solnechnogorsk oil pumping station, a techno park on the opposite side of the city, and an oil refinery on the other side of Moscow. Satellite strike images confirmed that RVS 5000 tanks were destroyed at the oil pumping station in Moscow Oblast. Images showed fires at the oil loading station in the Moscow region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that one Russian oil company alone has already been forced to shut down around 400 wells, while oil refining volumes in Russia have dropped by at least 10 percent in the first months of 2026. Zelenskyy attributed this entirely to Ukrainian sanctions.

Photos showed two models of Ukrainian Bars jet powered drones that took part in the attack on the Moscow region. The Bars SM variant is visibly thicker than the standard version. The General Staff confirmed the Bars SM variant was also used.

Additional strikes continued across Russia the following day. Approximate flight routes of Ukrainian UAVs showed red arrows indicating the direction of UAVs and orange arrows indicating unguided rockets. According to Russian sources, about 170 of these were claimed to be fired. Counter sabotage boat, UAV control points, and other enemy targets were struck. A drone attack was reported near Nizhny Novgorod Oblast with possible targets including a local oil refinery and a Gorki oil pumping station. Ukrainian drones also struck Russian logistics in occupied Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast, and a microchip factory.

Meanwhile, Russia launched another massive wave of strikes against Ukraine, firing 546 drones and missiles overnight. Ukrainian air defences downed or neutralised four missiles and 503 enemy UAVs for a 93 per cent shoot down rate. In total, the Russians used 524 attack drones and 22 missiles of various types in their strike, including both ballistic and cruise missiles.

Russia’s overnight attack on Dnipro and the region lasted more than six hours. A missile strike damaged an apartment block with other civilian infrastructure also heavily hit. The attack also targeted energy facilities and residential buildings across the region. The number of wounded in Dnipro rose to 18 after the strike. The injured included a 2 year old girl and a 10 year old boy.

Drones struck Odesa as well. Ukraine’s Navy said that a Russian strike drone hit the KSL DEYANG cargo ship near Odesa Oblast as it moved through Ukraine’s maritime corridor toward greater Odesa ports. The Marshall Islands flagged vessel belongs to China.

Over the past seven days, Russia fired more than 3,170 strike drones, over 1,300 guided glide bombs, and 74 missiles at Ukraine. The week’s worst episode came on 13 to 14 May when Russia launched 1,560 drones and 56 missiles in a two day window.

On the battlefield, 1,220 Russian personnel were removed from the battlefield alongside one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, 47 artillery systems, 220 vehicles and fuel tanks, and 163 UAVs. There were 242 combat engagements recorded. Russian gains of 24 kilometres were confirmed, though push back occurred in both directions.

Ukraine’s Steel Border Brigade struck Russian targets with FPV and Vampire drones in the Kursk and North Slobozhanshchyna axis, hitting an armoured personnel carrier, three troops, electronic warfare systems, an antenna, a gun, two vehicles, an ammunition depot, and three shelters.