Ukraine’s Largest Ever Drone Strike Hits Russian Missile Plant Near Moscow

 

Ukrainian Long-Range Drones Hit Key Russian Missile Facility Near Moscow in Record Operation

In the early hours of Wednesday, May 28, long-range drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) targeted a major Russian defense facility near Moscow in what Russian officials described as Kyiv’s largest drone operation of the war.

According to Kyiv Post sources within the SBU, the drones struck the Raduga Design Bureau in the city of Dubna, approximately 130 kilometers (81 miles) north of the Russian capital. The facility, part of Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation, produces a range of missiles—including the Kh-101/555, Kh-69, and Kh-59MK—used in attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.

SBU sources reported that the attack successfully bypassed Russian air defenses, hitting the plant’s assembly and equipment workshops, which were set ablaze.

“The SBU continues to conduct precise strikes on critical nodes of Russia’s military-industrial complex—facilities that directly supply the Kremlin’s war machine,” a source told Kyiv Post. “These drone operations will persist as part of our broader strategy to undermine the technological backbone of the Russian army.”

Ukraine maintains that it targets only military-linked infrastructure, in line with its right to self-defense under the UN Charter. These operations are aimed at disrupting Russia’s capacity to wage war, focusing on arms production facilities rather than civilian structures.

The drone strike came on the heels of a massive Russian air campaign that saw nearly 1,000 missiles and drones launched against Ukraine between Saturday and Monday. The attacks killed 13 civilians, including three children, on Sunday alone.

In response to the Ukrainian drone assault, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that between 9 p.m. on May 27 and 7 a.m. on May 28, its air defenses destroyed or intercepted 296 Ukrainian UAVs across multiple regions, including near Moscow. This marks the largest single drone attack on Russian territory since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that 33 drones were downed as they neared the capital, while Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported 42 additional intercepts across 12 districts. Three apartment buildings in Chekhov were damaged, though no casualties were reported.

While Russia frequently reports Ukrainian drone activity, officials acknowledged that the scale of this operation was unprecedented—especially given Moscow’s distance from the front lines.