Several buildings erupted in flames in a night of chaos across Russia’s capital.
Moscow was hit by huge overnight strikes (Image: EAST2WEST)
Vladimir Putin has been humiliated after Russia’s capital Moscow was hammered huge strikes from Ukraine – on the final day of voting in the ‘sham’ election. More than 1,600 drones were downed by air defences in a Ukrainian onslaught that set the city’s main oil refinery ablaze. A total of 450 were intercepted as they approached Moscow.
It appeared that FP-5 Flamingo missiles were also used in the strike on the Russian capital in what appears to be a new long-range tactic approved by Volodymyr Zelensky hours earlier due to Vladimir Putin’s refusal to talk peace. Thick smoke blanketed part of the city and all four of Moscow’s main airports faced major disruption as the capital’s airspace was closed, impacting hundreds of flights. In addition to the Moscow Oil Refinery, a major warehouse in a logistics hub was destroyed in a huge inferno in Sofyino where a woman, 44, was killed and five injured including two children when a downed drone struck a three-storey apartment building.
Several buildings in Moscow erupted in flames following the devastating strikes (Image: EAST2WEST)
An elderly man was killed by another downed drone in Orekhovo-Zuevsky district.
There were reports that a heat and power plant was also hit.
In Ramenki, the roof of a 21-story residential building caught fire with 400 people evacuated, including 70 children. Other apartment blocks were hit in Kotelniki and Istra.
Debris from a suspected shot-down Ukrainian-made FP-5 Flamingo missile was seen in the Moscow region.
This came hours after Zelensky said he had “approved new long-range operations in response to Russian strikes”.
“We are preparing to expand our long-range capabilities,” he said.
Russian officials did not initially confirm a drone strike.
Sheremetyevo Airport faced major disruption as the drone attack targeted Moscow (Image: Getty)
The massive strikes on Moscow came on the final of three days of voting in Vladimir Putin’s “sham election” for the Russian parliament.
Anti-war candidates have been banned and mass allegations have emerged of electoral fraud in favour of the man pro-Putin party United Russia.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said: “This unprecedented attack was clearly planned to disrupt the elections. The enemy failed to achieve this.”
“Since yesterday, more than 1,600 drones have been intercepted across all fronts. Of these, 450 were approaching Moscow.”
The oil refinery owned by Gazprom-MNPZ has a capacity of 11 million tons a year and is vital for fuel supplies to Moscow and the surrounding region which is already facing shortages due to earlier Ukrainians trikes.
Russians cast their ballots as Moscow comes under a major drone attack (Image: Andrei Bok/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
Dozens of flights were delayed or diverted at the city’s airports Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky.
Sheremetyevo alone saw more than 150 flights cancelled or rescheduled.
Russia claimed its night strikes hit an enterprise in Kyiv where control systems for Ukraine’s Flamingo and Neptune missiles are manufactured.
It was confirmed that a woman, 39, and children aged two and three were killed in a Russian strike in the village of Hlevakha, Kyiv region.
BBC icon Jon Sopel breaks silence on Charles Spencer bombshell – and it’s scathing
The former BBC News star has had his say on bombshell claims made in Earl Spencer’s new book.
Jon Sopel has broken his silence (Image: Getty)
Former BBC chief political correspondent Jon Sopel has broken his silence on Earl Charles Spencer’s King Charles bombshell with a scathing comment. Over the past week, Spencer has been releasing excerpts from his new memoir Swan Song about his late sister Princess Diana, including allegations that the monarch was “giddily elated” when he talking about Diana’s death.
The palace has denied those claims and said “recollections may vary”, and Spencer has been accused of profiting off his sister’s passing. This weekend, a clip dating back to a 1998 interview with Spencer went viral on social media, in which Spencer said he would “never” dream of making money off his sister.
He said in an interview at the time: “People have lost track of this. Can you imagine anybody making a profit out of their brother or sister’s death? It’s so low it’s inconceivable. I don’t know anyone who would.
“But because the press can present Diana as a public figure, rather than as my sister, they can make it sort of a possible accusation, whereas of course it’s completely out of the question. I would never profit from Diana’s death.”
Now Sopel has shared that clip on X, tweeting: “1998: ‘I will never profit from Diana’s death’. 2026: book serialisation in Daily Mail, publication next week.” He included a shrugging emoji with his scathing response.
Charles Spencer said he would ‘never’ profit off Diana’s death (Image: Getty)
Fans were quick to respond on social media, with one writing: “Earl Spencer has made me agree with Jon Sopel. Wonders will never cease.”
Another said: “The Spencer family were never working in the interests of Diana. They’re still not.”
And a third penned: “Such a shame he’s done this now. What possible motivation does he have to create waves when none were forecast. A rather sad plea for help?”