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Russian officials said an attack involving hundreds of drones targeted Moscow and its surrounding area on the final day of the legislative elections, killing two people, evacuating 400 others and damaging an oil refinery and residential areas. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin accused Ukraine of seeking to disrupt the vote, while authorities said more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted since Saturday.
Russia’s Central Election Commission said Moscow’s electronic voting system was subjected to a large-scale and severe cyberattack overnight, as a three-day parliamentary election was under way. Commission head Ella Pamfilova confirmed that efforts to fend off the attacks were continuing, saying remote voting was operating normally and without interruption.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev called for a response involving “military deterrence” after US President Donald Trump signed a new sanctions law targeting Russia’s energy and defence sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other officials, as part of increased pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was unaware of any US plan to conclude trade agreements with it before the end of the Ukraine war, stressing that the messages Russia receives link moving to economic projects to first reaching an understanding on the war.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official said NATO countries had strengthened their military presence and intensified exercises in the Arctic recently, describing the moves as rapid and unjustified and a threat to Russia’s security, while the alliance says its activities in the region are defensive in nature.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was ready to work with its European neighbours and resume relations with them, denying any aggressive intentions towards Europe. At the same time, he warned of growing external threats and NATO expansion, and unveiled plans to develop arms and defence industries, satellites, air defence and unmanned systems.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Britain’s chargé d’affaires in Moscow, Danai Dolakia, and delivered a formal protest over what it described as London’s increased supplies of drones and weapons to Ukraine, warning that countermeasures could be taken and calling on Britain to reverse its current policy.
The Kremlin said a package of sanctions approved by the US Congress against Russia would hinder efforts to reach a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine. The legislation targets the energy and defence sectors, Russian officials and oil tankers, and allows tariffs to be imposed on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
Recent satellite imagery shows barriers made of shipping containers and protective nets being installed around tanks and sensitive facilities at two Russian refineries. The measures come amid an escalation in Ukraine’s long-range strikes, the latest being an attack on facilities in Taganrog that Kyiv said targeted military sites and an oil-products tank.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow hopes to resume trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine in the foreseeable future, noting that contacts with the American side are continuing. The statement came after a conversation between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump and a meeting between Putin and US envoys at the Kremlin.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow prefers to achieve its goals through negotiations, but will seek to reach them on the battlefield if the West obstructs a settlement in Ukraine. He accused the West of trying to weaken Russia and spoke of information that the European Union was secretly preparing observers to monitor State Duma elections.
The number of tankers serving Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 facility has risen to at least 20 vessels as Moscow seeks to increase liquefied natural gas exports to Asian markets, particularly China. Despite higher production estimates for the facility in 2026, an energy expert says sanctions continue to limit output and impose additional costs and discounts.
Kyiv officially notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace is unsafe and called for it to be avoided as Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia increase. The warning coincided with Swedish and German moves against Moscow over a booby-trapped drone incident Berlin attributed to Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would respond firmly, and possibly asymmetrically, to any hostile or unfriendly acts while maintaining its commitment to constructive dialogue. He said the Arctic’s strategic importance to Russia’s national interests and national security would grow, noting that Moscow would continue developing the region and its infrastructure.
A video clip from a birthday party in Moscow has brought Bashar al-Jaafari back into the spotlight, sparking criticism among Syrians over his participation in a celebratory setting alongside figures linked to the former Assad regime.
