Trump-Zelensky call precedes surge in drone attacks on Moscow
In a July 4 conversation, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whether Ukraine's armed forces could target Moscow if they received long-range American weapons.
Following this discussion, as noted in Russian media, there has been a noticeable intensification of aerial assaults on the Russian capital.
Official reports from local authorities and Russia's Defense Ministry indicate that between July 4 and July 18, drones attacked Moscow and the region nine times. According to media outlet Agentstvo, the latest attack occurred overnight on July 18.
In this attack, 11 Ukrainian drones were purportedly shot down in the Moscow region, with officials claiming no serious consequences.
In the town of Sergiyev Posad, 52 kilometers from Moscow, damage was reported to the facades and glazing of two private houses. Meanwhile, in Solnechnogorsk, part of the wall and a fence of a private home were destroyed. "In the 15 days preceding the conversation (from June 19 to July 3), the capital region experienced attacks for five days.
During the similar period last month (June 4-18), drone raids were recorded on seven days," Russian media outlets noted. Furthermore, the number of drones attacking Moscow has reportedly increased. From July 4 to July 18, reports indicated that Ukraine deployed 63 drones. In the previous 15-day period, only 10 drones targeted the region, while during the comparable timeframe in June, that number was 43.
Additionally, on July 17, Ukraine launched a drone attack attack on a local chemical plant, "Shchekinoazot," in Russia's Tula region.
Tula Governor Dmitry Milyayev stated that air defense units intercepted three unmanned aerial vehicles, with wreckage allegedly falling on the territory of an unnamed facility. On July 14, U.S. President Donald Trump shared insights about Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s behavior, claiming that agreements were forgotten as soon as the phone was hung up.