It seems as if it was only last week [It was only last week, Steve — Editor] that Moscow and Kyiv agreed to a three-day ceasefire, partly so that the Kremlin could put on its annual Victory Day parade — marking victory over the Nazis — without any explosive interruptions.
So that’s over.
The Ukraine military launched more than 500 drones over Saturday night, with about 120 targeted at the Russian capital, in what Kyiv claims was its largest airstrike on Russia “in over a year,” according to Russia’s TASS agency. The same night, Moscow targeted Ukraine with nearly 300 drones of its own.
“Despite the presence of air defenses,” around Moscow, Interesting Engineering reported, “several drones reportedly got through, resulting in infrastructure damage, fires, and fatalities.” The attack forced Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport to shut down, resulting in 250 canceled flights.
Falling drone debris, presumably from a local air defenses’ shoot-down, is supposed to have forced the closing of Sheremetyevo.
Still, OSINT analyst “Tendar” called it a “bad day for the Russian air defense in Moscow,” with drones reportedly hitting “from Durykino in the north, Zelenograd, Sheremetyevo International Airport and Khimki in the northwest, and even reached the Moscow refinery in the southeast of Russia’s heavily protected capital.”
Damage doesn’t appear to be significant, although CNN reported at least three people were killed. Another 12 were reportedly injured, including workers at an oil refinery.
Kyiv’s Ukraine’s Security Service claims the country’s drone forces targeted energy and electronics facilities, including two oil pumping facilities, a refinery, and the Angstrom semiconductor plant, which supplies chips for the Russian military-industrial complex.
Here’s my favorite bit from the CNN report: “Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 556 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Sobyanin said air defenses shot down more than 120 drones heading for Moscow and its environs.”
That’s right, Russia shot down more drones than Ukraine launched. But anyone who’s ever heard (or told) a “No kidding, there I was…” military story knows that the kind of exaggeration is completely expected.
Russia’s Saturday night drone strikes involved approximately 290 various Shahed-style drones, and was actually a bit scaled down from attacks earlier in the week that Kyiv claims left dozens dead, almost entirely civilians. In the days leading up to Saturday, Russian forces launched over 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles — one of the heaviest sustained aerial assaults of the war.
Only tangentially related, but as long as we’re discussing how stupid and pointless this war is, I need to include this next item.
Russian air defense accidentally shoots down its own helicopter
While trying to intercept Ukrainian drones, Russian air defense systems shot down one of their own helicopters.
The entire crew was killed.
The incident was reported by Russian military correspondents.
Details… pic.twitter.com/1wz38BMPfE
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 18, 2026
As military contractor Giannis B put it, “Blue-on-blue incidents are the brutal reality of a chaotic, saturated airspace. When operators are stressed, communication networks fail, and the sky is full of low-profile targets, the fog of war turns friendly systems into lethal threats.”
Too many targets, too little information — not to mention the overstressed men fighting a war now well into its fifth year.
Recommended: One of Our Congresscritters Is Missing
You want the truth? You can totally handle the truth!
PJ Media VIP members get so much more, including exclusive podcasts and video live chats with your favorite writers. You can support alternative conservative news and save 60% with promo code FIGHT.
