Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow since March 2025 on May 17, killing at least three people in the Moscow region, Reuters reported the same day. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the targets included the Angstrem microelectronics plant, the Moscow Kapotnya oil refinery, the Solnechnogorsk oil pumping station, the Volodarskoye oil pumping station and the Belbek military airfield in Crimea.

The attack followed a near-daily Ukrainian drone campaign since Feb. 28 that has targeted Russian energy facilities, defense plants, airfields, command nodes and logistics infrastructure. The Moscow region's air defense network reportedly includes roughly 130 sites with Tor and Pantsir systems, S-300 complexes and long-range radars, underscoring the political and psychological significance of drones reaching the capital region despite years of investment in its protection.