Russia has intercepted the majority of 613 drones launched toward Moscow overnight, in one of the largest aerial assaults on the Russian capital in recent months, according to state news agency TASS.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that air defence forces destroyed 231 of the unmanned aerial vehicles on approach to the city. The remainder were neutralised at more distant approaches, with the attack spanning from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.

The strike marks the latest in a series of major drone assaults targeting the Moscow region. It follows a record attack in September, during which air defence forces reported shooting down more than 1,600 drones.

Meanwhile, Russia launched its own attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram that the strike damaged an educational institution.