Moscow Hit by Ukrainian Drones

Ukraine has unleashed what was reportedly the heaviest drone attack so far against Moscow. The overnight raid on the Russian capital killed at least one person and caused significant damage and disruption. As is typical for Ukrainian attacks of this kind on targets in Russian territory, there was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Russian officials, however, responded angrily, accusing Ukraine of deliberately attacking civilian areas.

In all, Russia claims that it brought down at least 20 Ukrainian drones over the Moscow region, and 124 more over eight other regions. While these claims cannot be independently verified, available videos posted to social media make clear the fact that this was a significant and sustained attack, with the Moscow region being particularly heavily hit.

At least one person, a 46-year-old woman, was killed in Ramenskoye, near Moscow, according to Russian authorities, when fire engulfed a high-rise residential building, leaving another three people wounded, according to regional governor Andrei Vorobyov. Meanwhile, 43 people were evacuated to temporary accommodation centers. “Dozens” of homes in the region were reportedly hit.

Several videos show, from very close quarters, a drone impacting a Moscow high-rise building, although it’s unclear if this is the same one that was struck in Ramenskoye.

Deadly floods hit Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria

A catastrophic flooding event is unfolding in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria amid an extreme weather pattern in Europe that is bringing exceptional heat over a swath of the continent after just spurring a deadly deluge in Spain.

• 7 deaths were reported in Turkey; five people died in a flash flood at campsite in northwestern Turkey and two died in Istanbul amid raging floodwaters.
• 3 deaths were reported in Greece in the port city of Volos and in Karditsa, to the west, and three people were reported missing.
• 4 deaths were report in Bulgaria.

Heat dome parked over western Europe
At the center of what is known as a “blocking pattern” is a heat dome over western Europe that is spreading record warmth across much of the continent. Heat domes are sprawling areas of high pressure that can trap heat beneath them for days, weeks or — in the case of the southern tier of the United States this summer — even months.