Ukraine drone hits Moscow luxury tower 5 days before Victory Day
Last updated: 20:46 UTC, May 04 2026 | Started: 2026-05-04 20:46 | 1 update(s) | Avg confidence: 88/100
The story so far: Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and now occupies nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine has responded with an expanding long-range drone campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure, military sites, and increasingly the Russian capital itself. Multiple US-brokered peace rounds in early 2026 have failed to produce a ceasefire agreement, with both sides deeply divided over territorial terms.
Latest Updates
2026-05-04 20:46 — Ukraine drone hits Moscow luxury tower 5 days before Victory Day
A Ukrainian drone struck the Dom na Mosfilmovskaya luxury residential complex on Mosfilmovskaya Street in southwestern Moscow early on May 4, causing structural damage to at least one apartment but no casualties, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed on Telegram.
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What We Know
- A Ukrainian drone struck the Dom na Mosfilmovskaya luxury residential complex on Mosfilmovskaya Street in southwestern Moscow early on May 4, causing structural damage to at least one apartment but no casualties, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed on Telegram.
- The building hit is approximately 6 km from the Kremlin and 3 km from the Russian Defence Ministry, making it one of the deepest strikes into central Moscow's residential core since the full-scale invasion began, according to The Moscow Times and the Kyiv Independent.
- Three additional drones targeting Moscow overnight were shot down by air defence systems, Sobyanin said; Russian authorities reported intercepting 507 Ukrainian drones across the country in the preceding 24-hour period, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
- On the same day, a Russian ballistic missile — assessed by Ukrainian officials as an Iskander-type — struck the town of Merefa in Kharkiv Oblast, killing at least 7 civilians and wounding more than 31 others, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram. Two more people were killed in Russian strikes on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
- Russia's Defence Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire for May 8–9 coinciding with Victory Day and threatened a 'massive, retaliatory missile strike on the centre of Kyiv' if Ukraine disrupted the parade; President Zelenskyy, speaking at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, announced a separate Ukrainian ceasefire starting midnight May 5 and mocked Russia's inability to hold a parade without Ukrainian consent.
Still Unclear
- Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin via Telegram: Moscow Mayor Sobyanin reported no injuries from the drone strike on Mosfilmovskaya Street.
Kyiv Independent: The Kyiv Independent noted it could not independently verify the extent of damage or Russian officials' casualty claims.
- Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov via Telegram: Kharkiv governor Syniehubov initially reported 5 dead in Merefa, later revised to 7 after two men died of wounds in hospital.
Al Jazeera / Euronews: Al Jazeera reported at least 8 killed total across Ukraine on May 4, while Euronews cited 7 dead in Merefa alone plus additional fatalities elsewhere.
- (Unverified — single source | anonymous source | not independently corroborated) The drone attacking Moscow may have approached from the west through airspace over the Tver region, possibly with a 'Baltic trace' involved. [Unnamed Russian source cited by Pravda Estonia]
- (Unverified — single source | not independently corroborated) Satellite imagery shows Ukraine's late-April strikes burned roughly 70% of the Transeft Perm pipeline station and destroyed all 50,000-cubic-metre-capacity tanks, halting operations. [Daily Kos citing unspecified satellite imagery analysis]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Distance of drone strike from the Kremlin | ~6 km | The Moscow Times |
| Civilians killed in Russian missile strike on Merefa, Kharkiv Oblast | 7 killed, 31+ wounded | Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov via Telegram, corroborated by RFE/RL and Euronews |
| Total civilians killed across Ukraine on May 4 | At least 8 | Al Jazeera |
| Ukrainian drones intercepted by Russia in preceding 24 hours | 507 | Russian Ministry of Defence |
| Russian drone attacks on Ukraine port infrastructure, Jan–Apr 2026 vs same period 2025 | 800+ vs 75 (nearly 11-fold increase) | Ukrainian Deputy PM Oleksii Kuleba via Telegram |
| Days until Russia's Victory Day parade | 5 | RFE/RL, Al Jazeera |
Frequently Asked Questions
Was anyone hurt in the Ukraine drone strike on Moscow?
No. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed on Telegram that there were no casualties in the strike on the Dom na Mosfilmovskaya high-rise. The building sustained structural damage to at least one apartment, with collapsed walls and broken doors visible in footage aired by Russian state broadcaster Rossiya-1.
Why is Russia not showing military vehicles at its Victory Day parade this year?
Russia's Defence Ministry announced that heavy military equipment will be excluded from the May 9 Red Square parade for the first time in nearly two decades, citing security concerns over Ukrainian drone attacks. The Kremlin has also redeployed air defence systems, including reportedly S-400 units, to protect the event in Moscow.
Will there be a ceasefire around Russia's Victory Day on May 9?
Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire for May 8–9 and threatened a massive missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the parade. Zelenskyy announced a separate Ukrainian ceasefire starting midnight May 5 but said Ukraine had received no official proposals from Russia, casting doubt on whether either truce will hold given ongoing strikes on both sides.
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