India, Sept. 20 -- Moscow woke up to explosions, fires and flight restrictions on Sunday as Russia reported an unprecedented Ukrainian drone assault on the capital and surrounding areas. The attack unfolded as Russians entered the final day of parliamentary voting, bringing the war directly into the backdrop of a major domestic political event.

Russian officials said air defences intercepted more than 1,600 drones across the country since Saturday, including around 450 approaching Moscow. The strikes damaged an oil refinery in the capital, hit residential areas and killed at least two people in the wider Moscow region, according to Russian authorities.

Ukraine, meanwhile, confirmed that its forces carried out long-range strikes against ...