Ukraine's Airstrike on Moscow Coincides with Russia's Parliamentary Elections

On Friday morning, September 15, 2023, Ukraine carried out a large-scale airstrike on Moscow and other regions of Russia using 350 drones. This attack coincided with the start of parliamentary elections in Russia and appears to be Ukraine's attempt to influence public opinion in Russia.

Details of the Attack on Moscow

Moscow's mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, announced that most of the drones sent towards the capital were destroyed in an outer defensive circle, and 64 drones were shot down while approaching the city. Ukraine is attempting to challenge political, social, and economic sentiments among Russian citizens and show them the impact of the war on their daily lives.

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Alongside these attacks, Ukraine also targeted oil facilities in Yaroslavl and a military airbase in Rostov, which, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, caused damage to aircraft and helicopters. Zelensky also mentioned positive outcomes in the Black Sea, although he did not provide further details.

Parliamentary Elections and the Political Situation in Russia

The parliamentary elections in Russia, the first since the start of the war in Ukraine, will last for three days and began on Friday in remote areas of the country. Only pro-war political parties are allowed to participate in these elections, and the Yabloko party, the only opposition party, has been removed from the ballot. These elections allow the Kremlin to gauge the depth of public support and the people's disillusionment with the war.

The "United Russia" party, led by Vladimir Putin, is expected to win the most seats in these elections. However, the extent of this party's victory and the number of seats won by other parties are under close scrutiny. Given the ban on protests and the absence of anti-war candidates, this election has become a real test of public support for the war.

On Friday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces attacked logistical facilities belonging to the Ukrainian postal company "Nova Poshta" near the port of Odessa and a cargo ship in the port of Chornomorsk, claiming these attacks were conducted for military purposes.

Russian airstrikes on Friday morning also resulted in injuries to five people, including three children, in the Kyiv region. This comes as Russia announced the day before that it had attacked three drone production facilities and a data center called "Di Novo" near Kyiv, which is recognized as the largest military supply equipment center.

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