Ukraine has launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow, as it presses on with a major incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, Russian authorities said.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that air defence forces shot down 11 drones over Moscow and its surrounding region, with some reportedly downed over the city of Podolsk some 38km (24 miles) south of the Kremlin.
“This is one of the largest ever attempts to attack Moscow with drones,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app. No damage or casualties were reported, he said in an earlier post.
Drone attacks on Moscow are rare. Ukraine’s latest attempt to target the Russian capital appeared to be larger than a previous attack in May 2023, when at least eight drones were struck down.
Wednesday’s barrage was part of a broader attack on Russia, with the Defence Ministry saying its air defence units destroyed 23 drones over the border region of Bryansk.
Six drones were destroyed over Belgorod, another Russian region on the border with Ukraine, three over the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region to its northeast, and two over the embattled Kursk region, the ministry said.
Russia’s RIA state news agency also reported that two drones were destroyed over the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region to its north.
Following the assault on Moscow, temporary restrictions were imposed overnight at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports, but all three returned to normal operations later on Wednesday.
“If it [Ukraine] targets the cities, how many of those drones will get through, what effect will they have on Russian strategic thinking because these cities are all very well protected, especially the capital? So it remains to be seen whether this is a departure or just a one-off by Ukraine’s military command,” said Al Jazeera’s Defence Editor Alex Gatopoulos, reporting from Kyiv.
“This is one of the largest ever attempts to attack Moscow with drones,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app. No damage or casualties were reported, he said in an earlier post.
Drone attacks on Moscow are rare. Ukraine’s latest attempt to target the Russian capital appeared to be larger than a previous attack in May 2023, when at least eight drones were struck down.
Wednesday’s barrage was part of a broader attack on Russia, with the Defence Ministry saying its air defence units destroyed 23 drones over the border region of Bryansk.
Six drones were destroyed over Belgorod, another Russian region on the border with Ukraine, three over the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region to its northeast, and two over the embattled Kursk region, the ministry said.
Russia’s RIA state news agency also reported that two drones were destroyed over the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region to its north.
Following the assault on Moscow, temporary restrictions were imposed overnight at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports, but all three returned to normal operations later on Wednesday.
“If it [Ukraine] targets the cities, how many of those drones will get through, what effect will they have on Russian strategic thinking because these cities are all very well protected, especially the capital? So it remains to be seen whether this is a departure or just a one-off by Ukraine’s military command,” said Al Jazeera’s Defence Editor Alex Gatopoulos, reporting from Kyiv.
