The Dubna Satellite Communications Center north of MoscowImage: www.imago-images.de
Ukraine says it has attacked an important Russian satellite communications center north of Moscow. Russia is now reporting civilian casualties: a 6-month-old baby was killed in a drone attack in the Moscow region.
Jul 1, 2026, 12:43 amJul 1, 2026, 12:43 am
Ukraine has further expanded its attacks deep in the Russian hinterland. How CNN Kiev said on Tuesday that it had once again hit one of Russia’s largest satellite communications centers. It is the Dubna Satellite Communications Center north of Moscow, around 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the facility will be used for reconnaissance and to coordinate Russian forces in the war against Ukraine. It is the second reported attack on the facility in just over a week.
Video: watson/x/ZelenskyyUa
Russia did not initially confirm the hit on the satellite center. However, the governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, said that a drone had hit an “administrative building” in Dubna. According to current information, there were no injuries there.
Baby dies after drone attack
At the same time, Russian authorities reported several deaths from Ukrainian drone attacks. In Yegoryevsk, southeast of Moscow, a drone crashed into a residential building, Governor Vorobyov said on Telegram. People were trapped under the rubble.
Rescue workers were able to rescue two adults and two children. According to Vorobyov, a 6-month-old baby died on the way to the hospital.
One death was also reported in the Tver region, west of Moscow. A 61-year-old woman died there after an enemy drone shot down hit a residential or holiday home, the regional authorities said.
More than 60 drones heading to Moscow
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses had shot down more than 60 drones after several waves of attacks on the capital. The attacks began on Tuesday night.
The Russian Ministry of Defense spoke of a total of 419 drones that had been intercepted or destroyed. This information cannot be independently verified.
The Ukrainian side has been making it clear for weeks that it wants to increase pressure on Russia with attacks far behind the front. The aim is to persuade Moscow to end the war, which has now lasted four years.
Ukraine exploits gaps in Russian air defenses
To date, Ukrainian long-range attacks have often targeted oil refineries and energy infrastructure. Recently, Kiev has also increasingly set its sights on targets around Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday that the attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg were made possible by an “open corridor” in the dense Russian air defense system. Ukrainian units would systematically destroy radar systems in the Russian border region of Bryansk that monitored the airspace towards the capital.
In doing so, Ukraine apparently wants to weaken Russia’s ability to detect and intercept incoming drones at an early stage.
Satellite center already destination
According to Ukrainian information, the Dubna Satellite Communications Center was hit on June 22nd. At that time, the Ukrainian military said it had successfully attacked the facility.
The Russian state agency Tass reported at the time of a “massive drone attack” on the facility. However, communications and television broadcasts were not affected and no one was injured.
The renewed attack shows that Kiev can repeatedly attack strategically important facilities near the Russian capital – despite the dense air defenses around Moscow.
Kremlin accuses Ukraine of attacking civilians
The Kremlin strongly condemned the attacks. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday that civilians were suffering and children were dying.
The Ukrainian government, in turn, argues that such attacks are part of a strategy to force Russia to end the war. Last week, Zelensky announced a 40-day operation intended to put more military and political pressure on Moscow.
The attacks are also likely to have an impact on domestic politics in Russia. In recent months, the war has become increasingly closer for many people in Moscow and other large cities. Drone alarms, damaged buildings and restrictions in air traffic are being reported more and more frequently.
For Russia, this means that the war, which the Kremlin has long portrayed as a distant conflict, is becoming increasingly visible – even in regions far behind the front. (mke)