REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
- Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Russia over the weekend, Russia's defense ministry said.
- The attacks took place as Russia's presidential elections were in full swing.
- Vladimir Putin was re-elected in a vote largely seen as a sham, with no real opposition on the ballot.
Ukraine launched a wave of drone attacks against Russia during its recent presidential election, Russia's defense ministry said.
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said on Sunday that 35 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight, including four in the Moscow region.
Moscow's mayor said that a fifth drone was downed near an airport on Sunday morning, the Associated Press reported.
The country also reported attacks on other regions, including four drones in Yaroslavl — which the AP said would be some of the furthest attacks on Russian territory that Ukraine has launched to date.
Authorities said a drone also fell on an oil refinery in Russia's southwestern Krasnodar region, creating a fire that took hours to put out.
The attacks occurred during Russia's presidential elections, which took place over three days, starting on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was re-elected in a vote widely seen as a sham. No real criticism or opposition to Putin is allowed in Russia, and Ukrainians in occupied territories said they were made to vote at gunpoint.
Ukraine has not commented on the recent strikes and generally does not comment on attacks on Russian soil. It typically only hints at an involvement or does not make any statement at all.
Some attacks within Russia have been claimed by Russian groups that oppose Putin, including assaults within the past week.
Ukraine has told its allies that it will not use long-range weapons given by them to launch attacks within Russia's borders.
But it has used drones, which it can manufacture itself.
These attacks have generally targeted military installations and oil refineries.
Drones have been used more in the conflict in Ukraine than in any other war in history, with both sides using them for surveillance and attacks.
Over the weekend, Russia also launched its own attacks on multiple parts of Ukraine, including some far from the frontline fighting.
On Friday, Ukrainian authorities said a ballistic missile attack on the southern city of Odesa killed at least 20 people and injured more than 70.