Ukraine strikes Moscow satellite facility in 419-drone barrage

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Moscow early on June 30, striking a key military satellite communications facility for the second time in eight days and killing a six-month-old baby in the Moscow region, as Kyiv's long-range campaign continues to bring the war closer to the Russian capital.

Massive Overnight Barrage

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones approaching the capital, writing on Telegram that "another large-scale attack by enemy drones has been repelled." Russia's Defense Ministry said a total of 419 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across 18 Russian regions and occupied Crimea.meduza+4

The attack began around 4 a.m. local time and came in multiple waves, according to Sobyanin's updates on Telegram. In the town of Yegoryevsk in the Moscow region, a six-month-old baby was killed after a private house caught fire following what local authorities described as a drone crash. Two adults and another child were injured and hospitalized, Moscow Oblast Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Telegram.kurdistan24+3

Dubna Space Center Struck Again

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine's drones hit Russia's Dubna Space Communications Center in Moscow Oblast, located roughly 500 kilometers from Ukraine's border. "Today, our long-range sanctions against Russia for this war once again reached the Dubna Space Communications Center," Zelensky said.kyivindependent

The facility supports Russian military communications, intelligence, and satellite operations. A previous strike on June 22 damaged a 32-meter satellite communications antenna and the facility's main control building, according to Ukraine's General Staff. Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had recently struck four similar satellite communications centers in the Moscow and Vladimir regions and were preparing operations against additional military facilities.kyivindependent

Escalating Pressure on the Kremlin

The attacks are part of an intensifying Ukrainian long-range drone campaign that has repeatedly targeted Moscow and Russian infrastructure in recent weeks. Between June 26 and 27 alone, Russian authorities reported shooting down 660 Ukrainian drones, one of the largest waves since the start of the full-scale invasion. On June 22, some 60 drones targeted Moscow, forcing temporary airport closures. On June 19, Sobyanin reported 76 drones intercepted on approach to the capital.pravda+2

The sustained campaign has begun to produce visible effects inside Russia. In recent weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly acknowledged gas station queues and fuel shortages resulting from Ukrainian strikes, as Russia works to stabilize supply. Ukrainian strikes earlier in June set fire to the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya, reportedly disrupting a portion of the capital's fuel market.youtube+1

"We are making it as difficult as possible for the aggressor state to wage its war against Ukraine and occupy our territories," Zelensky said.kyivindependent