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Will Putin change tactics after Ukrainian drone attacks?

Steve Rosenberg explains what Russia's next steps may be after frequent Ukrainian drone attacks.

Published June 18, 2026, 10:52 AM
Updated June 18, 2026, 11:28 AM1.0K
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Will Putin change tactics after Ukrainian drone attacks?

Moscow has come under the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the full-scale war, with close to 200 drones hitting targets around the Russian capital and setting columns of thick smoke billowing high into the sky.

Seventeen people were wounded in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.

Almost 1,000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed across the country in 24 hours, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying. An oil depot was struck in the southern Rostov region, where one person was killed.

Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had once again hit the Moscow region with "long-range sanctions" - a euphemism for Ukrainian long-distance strikes on Russia.

The BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg reports.

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