Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Strike on Moscow Amid Russian Parliamentary Vote

Ukraine executed what Moscow officials called the biggest drone strike yet on the Russian capital, on the last day of Russia’s parliamentary elections.

Russian Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attacks killed two people in Moscow and two more in Russian-held Kherson, including an election official. It also knocked out a site at the Moscow oil refinery. He added the attack was "clearly planned in order to sabotage the elections," but was stopped.

The State Duma vote, the first since Russia launched a full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, should confirm the ruling United Russia party’s hold on power. The Kremlin will probably spin the results as proof of the public’s support for President Vladimir Putin’s war.

The turnout exceeded 45% by Sunday morning, despite cyberattacks and limits on opposition candidates. The liberal party Yabloko tried to tap a fatigue with war, but its contributors and leaders have been repressed, with senior members given long jail terms.

At the same time, tensions rose between Russia and Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh intercepted a missile that was supposed to land there. Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed attacks on Saudi targets, and the United States State Department raised its travel alert for Americans in West Asia, fearing a quick escalation.

We are expecting to see the results of the election by Sunday evening, with the totality of the results coming in Monday.