CNN
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Russia said it was hit by a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack overnight Tuesday, hours ahead of critical talks between officials from Washington and Kyiv.
Moscow’s defense ministry said it had downed 337 drones it claimed Ukraine had fired at Russia, of which 91 had targeted the Moscow region.
If confirmed, the aerial attacks would represent one of the largest on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.
Falling debris damaged buildings in Moscow, in what mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram was a “most massive” attack.
Two people were killed and at least six wounded in the Moscow region, said regional Gov. Andrey Vorobyev on Telegram. He added that the falling debris started a fire in a parking lot that burned through more than 20 cars.
Video geolocated by CNN shows an explosion at an apartment building in the southern Moscow region.
The reported attacks forced two Moscow airports to close for safety reasons, as well as two airports east of the city, according to state-run news agency TASS, adding that several flights to Moscow were redirected to other airports.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had defended against Russian ballistic missile and drone attacks overnight. At least one person was killed and 18 injured, according to a CNN tally of figures released by various Ukrainian officials.
The attacks come ahead of talks scheduled between United States and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security adviser Mike Waltz are slated to meet the Ukrainian national security adviser, foreign minister and defense minister.
Zelensky’s Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said early on Tuesday that the Ukrainian team was “preparing to work.”
“We will protect Ukrainian interests, have a clear vision of ending the war, and work effectively with our American partners,” he wrote on Telegram.
Ahead of the meeting, Rubio said the US wanted to hear what concessions Ukraine would be willing to make in negotiations to end the war with Russia, and that the talks could determine whether Washington resumes providing military aid and full intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
CNN previously reported that the US is still sharing intelligence with Ukraine that can help its troops defend themselves but has “scaled back” sharing details that could be used for offensive targeting of Russian forces, according to two US defense officials.
Fighting on the ground has intensified in recent weeks as the US-Ukraine relationship has soured, following the shouting match between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Russia launched a major aerial assault on Ukraine last Friday and Saturday that killed more than two dozen people, according to Ukrainian authorities; another series of attacks killed six more civilians from Sunday to Monday.
Ukraine’s presence in Russia’s Kursk region is also shrinking sharply, with the Russian advance threatening Kyiv’s sole territorial bargaining counter at a crucial time in the war.
Ukraine’s reported attack on Moscow Tuesday appeared to be larger than its previous largest assault on the Russian capital last November.
Russia said it downed 34 Ukrainian drones during that attack, which injured a woman, forced the temporary closure of airspace and caused two houses to catch fire.
Last September, Russia said it destroyed at least 20 Ukrainian drones near Moscow in an attack that killed at least one person and forced airport closures in the capital.