Ukraine’s drone attack on Moscow, involving at least 11 drones, was thwarted by air defenses and deemed a major strike.
The war, a grinding artillery and drone conflict, escalated on Aug. 6 when Ukraine sent soldiers into Russia’s Kursk region.
For months, Ukraine has targeted Russian refineries and airfields with drones, though major attacks on Moscow’s 21 million residents are rarer.
Russia’s defense ministry reported destroying 45 drones over various regions, including Moscow, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, and Kursk.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that drones were shot down over Podolsk, a city 38 km south of the Kremlin.
Moscow Defends Against Major Drone Attack Amid Kursk and Ukraine Battles
“This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones ever,” Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app in the early hours of Wednesday. “The layered defence of Moscow that was created made it possible to successfully repel all the attacks from the enemy UAVs.”
In Moscow, cafes and shops were busy and seemingly unconcerned, while President Putin met with Chinese premier Li Qiang at the Kremlin.
Russia is advancing in eastern Ukraine, controlling 18% of the territory, and repelling Ukraine’s major incursion into Kursk.
Russian media displayed unverified footage of drones over Moscow being shot down by air defenses, resulting in fiery explosions.
Moscow’s airports limited flights for four hours but resumed normal operations from 0330 GMT, according to Russia’s aviation watchdog.
Sobyanin reported no injuries or damage from the attacks, and Bogomaz confirmed no casualties or damage in Bryansk.
RIA reported two drones were destroyed over Tula, and air defense shot down a Ukraine missile over Rostov, with no injuries.
The Russian defense ministry didn’t mention Tula or Rostov in its statement, while Ukraine claimed to have struck an S-300 in Rostov.
The Moscow drone attack, similar to May 2023’s incident with eight drones destroyed, was seen by Putin as a Ukrainian provocation.
In Kursk, Russian war bloggers reported intense battles where Ukraine has seized at least 450 square km of Russian territory.
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