Ukraine launched it largest drone attack on Moscow overnight, according to figures released by Mayor Sergey Sobyanin on Tuesday.
Sobyanin said on Telegram that from Monday evening more than 430 drones were launched towards the Moscow region.
“The majority were neutralised by air defence systems at distant approaches, while 36 enemy drones were destroyed as they approached Moscow,” he said.
The overnight air raid surpassed the July 4 large-scale drone raid on the capital that involved some 200 drones.
The defence ministry attributed the growing scale of the attacks to the Ukrainian leadership's desire to showcase its military capabilities ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Ukraine has yet to comment on the latest claims, which could not be independently verified.
The reported Ukranian drone attacks come after Russian strikes killed 30 people in Ukraine on Monday a day ahead of a crucial two-day NATO summit.
It included a barrage of ballistic missiles that Kiev’s air defences were unable to intercept. Ukrainian officials said the country’s air defence systems were able to counter drones and cruise missiles but lacked sufficient interceptor missiles for ballistic threats.
Meanwhile, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged NATO and European allies to provide additional air defence interceptors, particularly for Patriot systems, warning that delays in deliveries leave Ukraine vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks.
"It is critically important that the world, first and foremost the United States and our European partners, come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defence," Zelenskyy said on Facebook.
