A rare drone strike on the Russian capital of Moscow occurred Tuesday morning, causing “minor” damage to structures and no injuries, as stated by the city’s mayor. Russia has accused Ukraine of launching a series of early morning drone attacks on Moscow.
Drone Attack on Moscow
Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, drone strikes have only rarely targeted Moscow, which is located more than 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine, even though such attacks were growing in frequency in other places in Russia.
Drone attacks on targets deep within Russia have increased recently. Moscow has accused Ukraine of orchestrating such attacks, including the recent drone strike on the Kremlin and oil pipeline infrastructure.
#NewsAlert | Drone strikes in #Moscow damaged several buildings.
— WION (@WIONews) May 30, 2023
Russia says, Ukrainian 'terrorist attack'
At least two of the drones crashed into residential towers.#RussiaUkraineWar #Russia #Ukraine@ErikNjoka talks to professor @Glenn_Diesen, for perspective. pic.twitter.com/a0qgcrhjzL
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that two individuals were hurt in the early-morning incident, one of whom was hospitalised. The airports in Moscow were open. No fatalities were recorded. He added that emergency personnel were “at the scene of incidents.”
According to Russia’s defence ministry, Ukraine launched eight drone attacks against Moscow. However, he noted that all drones were shot down by anti-aircraft systems or suppressed using electronic warfare equipment, leading them to drift away from their targets.
Residents in southwestern Moscow reported hearing loud bangs between 0200 and 0300 GMT, followed by a smell of fuel. Some people captured footage of a drone being shot down and a plume of smoke rising above the Moscow skyline.
While Kyiv is yet to respond to Russian allegations, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Gen Kyrylo Budanov, warned on Monday of a swift response to a series of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Russian independent media that Kyiv had no involvement in the aerial attack but added that “we are watching with pleasure — and we predict an increase in the number of attacks.”
⚡️Footage of a drone attack on #Moscow pic.twitter.com/KKcJsmceeC
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) May 30, 2023
Drone Attack on Kyiv
The strikes on Moscow occurred after an overnight drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in which at least one person was killed.
According to initial data from the Kyiv Military Administration, at least 20 Iranian Shahed explosive drones were destroyed by air defence troops in Kyiv’s airspace in Russia’s third strike on the city in the last 24 hours. Reportedly, Ukraine shot down 29 of 31 drones fired into the country, with the majority landing in Kyiv.
As per reports, one person was killed and seven were injured in the overnight strikes in Kyiv. After being hit by debris from drones or interceptor missiles, a high-rise building in the Holosiiv region caught fire. The drone attack demolished the upper two floors of the building.
A 33-year-old woman was killed and 13 others were wounded in the Russian drone attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday, Ukraine’s National Police said.https://t.co/AK3VHTqxNw
— CNN International (@cnni) May 30, 2023
Putin Assassination Attempt
The Kremlin blamed Ukraine for attempting to assassinate Russian President Putin after Russian air defences shot down a drone above Putin’s Moscow residence earlier this month. “Two unmanned aerial vehicles targeted the Kremlin. Timely action by the military and special services involving radar systems enabled them to disable the devices,” the Kremlin stated in a release.
Social media footage showed an unmanned aerial aircraft flying towards the Kremlin. The object, however, explodes before crashing, possibly shot down by Russian defences.
Moscow has accused Kyiv of trying to assassinate Putin. However, an unnamed security official told the BBC that the incident indicates Russia is “preparing a large-scale terrorist provocation” in Ukraine, implying that Russian troops were planning a major assault.