Ukraine launches 'one of largest ever' drone attacks on Moscow

Ukraine launched one of the largest ever drone attacks on Moscow on Wednesday, the city's mayor said, with Russian air defence units destroying 11 drones flying towards the capital.

Some of the drones were destroyed over the city of Podolsk, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The city in the Moscow region is some 38 kms south of the Kremlin.

The attack comes as Russia - while advancing in eastern Ukraine - struggles to push Ukrainian forces out of its Kursk region, two weeks after they smashed through Russia's western border in the largest invasion of Russia since World War Two. 

Ukraine has often launched one or two drones targeting Moscow in recent months, causing no substantial damage.

The Wednesday attack, however, seems larger than May 2023 attack when at least eight drones were destroyed over the capital in an attack President Vladimir Putin said was Kyiv's attempt to scare and provoke Russia.

Russian officials rarely disclose the full size of the attacks, reporting only drones that its air defence units destroy.

Both Ukraine and Russia also rarely disclose the full extent of the damage their attacks inflict, unless residential or civilian infrastructure is damaged, or civilians die.