Russia-Ukraine war escalates: Ukraine launches 822 drones at Russia, NATO jet intercepts drone over Romania

Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Russia on Sunday, with hundreds of drones targeting Moscow and other regions, while Russian missile and drone strikes hit cities across Ukraine. The escalation also spilled into NATO airspace after a Spanish fighter jet shot down a drone over Romania.

At least six people were killed in Ukraine's attacks on Russia, while Russian strikes killed at least five people in Ukraine and wounded several others.

822 Ukrainian drones intercepted, Russia says

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones overnight, in one of the largest reported drone barrages of the war.

Moscow was among the main targets. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said around 600 drones were detected heading towards the Russian capital, with about one-third of them destroyed over the Moscow region.

An 83-year-old man was killed when a Ukrainian drone struck a private home in the Moscow region, regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov said.

A Ukrainian drone attack also sparked a fire at a Wildberries warehouse in Podolsk, according to Vorobyov. Ukraine has increasingly targeted the Russian online retailer's large distribution centres, with previous attacks destroying huge quantities of merchandise.

In the southwestern Rostov region, more than 150 drones targeted three towns, killing five people, Governor Yury Slyusar said. Several homes and a railway station were damaged, while the strikes also triggered a forest fire.

Russian strikes kill at least five in Ukraine

Russia also launched fresh missile and drone attacks across Ukraine.

A Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih killed two people and wounded 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. One additional person was killed in Sumy.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine's largest steel producer, confirmed that one of its facilities had been hit and that operations were partially suspended.

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, a man and a woman were killed when their home was struck by a Russian attack, according to regional military administration chief Ivan Fedorov.

Russian strikes also caused fires across Kyiv and wounded six people. One of the most prominent sites hit was a major book market near the Pochaina metro station, where flames tore through rows of kiosks and sent thick black smoke across the Ukrainian capital.

Zelensky accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure with ballistic missiles.

Russia, however, said its strikes were aimed at military and industrial targets. Its Defence Ministry said it had struck a metallurgical plant in Kryvyi Rih and several military-industrial facilities in Kyiv.

Ukraine's Flamingo missiles emerge as key weapon

The latest attacks come as Ukraine continues to develop its own long-range strike capabilities.

Russia said one of its targets in Kyiv was a facility involved in producing Ukraine's Flamingo missiles. The domestically produced weapons are becoming an increasingly important part of Kyiv's ability to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine had used the missiles to attack a rocket research and production centre in Russia's Samara region, about 900 km (560 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Spanish F-18 shoots down drone over Romania

The latest escalation also raised concerns about the war spilling into NATO territory.

Romania's Defence Ministry said a drone entered its airspace near the eastern city of Galati, about 24 km from the border with Moldova.

A Spanish Air and Space Force F-18 fighter jet, deployed in Romania for air-policing duties, detected the drone on radar and received authorization to engage it.

The aircraft shot down the drone at 5:01 am, around 17 minutes after Romanian surveillance systems detected it.

Romanian authorities later reported drone debris in the Black Sea near the coastal city of Constanta. They did not specify where the drone originated.

The incident follows several previous drone incursions and debris incidents in Romania since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Romanian acting Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said Spain's air-policing deployment had been expanded at the request of Romania and NATO to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank following earlier drone incidents.