In a sharp escalation of hostilities following a collapsed unilateral ceasefire bid from Kyiv, Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the full-scale invasion overnight, with Russian defense officials confirming Thursday that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 347 Ukrainian drones across more than 20 Russian regions, including the Moscow area.
This drone wave marks the second-largest Ukrainian aerial attack since Russia launched its full-scale incursion more than two years ago, falling just short of a record 389-drone assault carried out in March of 2024. The strike comes just days ahead of Russia’s annual Victory Day holiday on May 9, the country’s most important secular celebration marking the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, which has been shrouded in heightened security threats this year.
The cycle of escalating attacks followed a series of overlapping ceasefire announcements that quickly fell apart. Earlier this week, Russia declared a unilateral two-day ceasefire for Victory Day on Friday and Saturday. In response, Ukraine announced it would suspend its own offensive operations starting at midnight Tuesday, framing the move as a goodwill gesture. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia immediately ignored the gesture, continuing strikes across Ukrainian territory, and Kyiv would respond in kind.
“Russia has not stopped any type of its military activity. Unfortunately, it has not stopped. Ukraine will act symmetrically,” Zelenskyy stated in his regular Wednesday evening video address to the nation.
Tensions have built steadily in the lead-up to this year’s Victory Day, with U.S.-led international peace efforts remaining stalled and Kyiv expanding its long-range strike capabilities against targets inside Russia. In response to growing security risks, Russian authorities have implemented sweeping restrictions and scaled back traditional holiday festivities in the capital.
On Thursday, Russian state media confirmed that all mobile internet and text messaging services will be shut down across Moscow on May 9, per an announcement from the country’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. The blackout will only exempt a small pre-approved “white list” of state-run online services, while home wired internet and public Wi-Fi networks will remain operational, officials clarified.
In a break from nearly 20 years of tradition, Moscow’s iconic annual Victory Day parade will also exclude the display of tanks, ballistic missiles, and other heavy military equipment for the first time this year. Russian defense officials cited the “current operational situation” as justification for the change, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov directly placed blame on Kyiv for the scaled-back celebrations and heightened security measures, accusing Ukraine of engaging in “terrorist activity” in reference to repeated cross-border drone strikes.
As Ukrainian forces launched their massive overnight drone assault, Russia retaliated with its own wave of drone strikes on Ukrainian territory. Ukraine’s military reported early Thursday that its air defense systems had successfully downed 92 of the 102 Russian drones launched overnight. Russia retains a substantial numerical advantage in drone production, and regularly carries out mass attacks involving hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles against Ukrainian infrastructure and military targets.
The latest escalation comes as both sides continue trading large-scale cross-border strikes amid a grinding frontline conflict, with no near-term prospect of a negotiated end to the war.