Moscow faces biggest attack in year

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian long-range strikes had reached the Moscow region after Russia reported its biggest drone attack on the capital area in more than a year. Russian officials said at least three people were killed in the Moscow region and one more in Belgorod after a large overnight barrage on May 17. The attacks followed the collapse of a three-day pause in fighting that both sides had presented as a ceasefire. The Kremlin said on May 19 that peace talks could still resume despite the latest strikes. ### How large was the attack around Moscow? May 17 brought what Russian officials described as the biggest drone attack on the Moscow area in over a year. Reuters reported that at least four people were killed, including three in the Moscow region, and that Russia's defence ministry said more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones had been downed across the country in the previous 24 hours. Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said air defences intercepted drones heading toward the capital, while local authorities reported casualties and damage in the wider region. NBC, citing Reuters, said the attack was the largest on Moscow in more than a year. ### What did Ukraine say about the strikes? Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's long-range capabilities had reached the Moscow region. (usnews.com) Time reported on May 17 that the barrage underscored Kyiv's ability to strike deep inside Russian territory despite Moscow's air defences. Ukraine has often avoided immediate public claims of responsibility for specific drone operations inside Russia. Zelensky's statement, as reflected in coverage on May 17 and May 19, was one of the clearer acknowledgments that Ukrainian long-range strikes had targeted the Moscow region. (nbcnews.com) ### Why did the latest barrage matter for talks? Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said on May 19 that peace talks could resume even after the Moscow attack. (time.com) NBC, citing Reuters, reported that Peskov said attention should also be paid to what he called Ukrainian strikes on civilian targets in Russia. The latest exchange came days after a brief three-day halt in fighting gave way to renewed attacks. (time.com) AP reported on May 19 that Russia launched another aerial barrage on Ukraine overnight, with Zelensky saying eight Ukrainian regions had been targeted. That sequence left the diplomatic track open in formal statements while combat intensified in practice. (nbcnews.com) ### Where do nuclear-safety concerns enter the picture? The International Atomic Energy Agency warned again in mid-May about military activity near nuclear facilities. World Nuclear News reported on May 18 that the agency had cited more than 160 drones flying near Ukraine's nuclear power plants within a single 24-hour period and renewed its warning against military action around civil nuclear sites. (apnews.com) Rafael Grossi, the IAEA director general, also raised concern after a drone strike near the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. World Nuclear News and U.N. News said the incident did not damage the plant, but Grossi used it to underscore the wider risk posed by drone warfare around nuclear infrastructure. ### Who is still trying to push diplomacy? (world-nuclear-news.org) Jonas Gahr Store, Norway's prime minister, said he hoped India would use its channels with Russia to help secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. The Hindu reported that Store made the remark in Oslo while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting Norway on May 18. (world-nuclear-news.org) Narendra Modi said on the same trip that India supported efforts toward an early end to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, according to Indian media reports. No new direct Russia-Ukraine meeting was announced on May 19, but the Kremlin said contacts could continue. May 19 left two tracks running at once: Russian officials saying talks remained possible, and both sides continuing long-range strikes. (thehindu.com) The next concrete sign will be whether the Kremlin and Kyiv set a date for new direct contacts while the IAEA keeps reporting on drone activity near nuclear facilities. (nbcnews.com) (theweek.in)