Russian officials from the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian forces fired at least three unmanned drones at Moscow on Sunday. These latest attacks show that even as Ukraine is defending its territory, it can credibly threaten the Russian homeland.
One of the drones was destroyed outside Moscow, in Odintsovo, while the other two hit commercial buildings after being struck down by Russian air defenses. The two drones struck a skyscraper complex known as Moscow City, a symbol of Russia’s strength and economic prosperity under Vladimir Putin. The 89th floor boasts a restaurant with panoramic views of the Moscow skyline for the city’s elite, and the office space in the rest of the building houses government industries, as well as finance and technology companies, one of which has been linked to illegal cryptocurrency dealings by Russian hackers.
There were no injuries, according to the mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, but footage from Russian state media showed warped beams and shattered windows in Moscow City.
Typically, Ukraine does not claim responsibility for attacks on Russia, to maintain a military advantage and the element of surprise. But Ukrainian officials said last week that the drone attacks on Moscow were indeed ordered by Kyiv. Ukraine has also been accused of using drones to attack Crimea, which Russia invaded in February of 2014. Moscow accused Ukraine of launching a new wave of attacks, this time on oil facilities and military air bases.
While Moscow was lightly damaged, with no casualties, Russia has launched four attack drones overnight at the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions of southern Ukraine that were all intercepted but hit civilian areas. In the northernpart of the country, a Russian missile hit a building in Sumy, killing two and wounding 20 more.
One of the drones was destroyed outside Moscow, in Odintsovo, while the other two hit commercial buildings after being struck down by Russian air defenses. The two drones struck a skyscraper complex known as Moscow City, a symbol of Russia’s strength and economic prosperity under Vladimir Putin. The 89th floor boasts a restaurant with panoramic views of the Moscow skyline for the city’s elite, and the office space in the rest of the building houses government industries, as well as finance and technology companies, one of which has been linked to illegal cryptocurrency dealings by Russian hackers.
There were no injuries, according to the mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, but footage from Russian state media showed warped beams and shattered windows in Moscow City.
Typically, Ukraine does not claim responsibility for attacks on Russia, to maintain a military advantage and the element of surprise. But Ukrainian officials said last week that the drone attacks on Moscow were indeed ordered by Kyiv. Ukraine has also been accused of using drones to attack Crimea, which Russia invaded in February of 2014. Moscow accused Ukraine of launching a new wave of attacks, this time on oil facilities and military air bases.
While Moscow was lightly damaged, with no casualties, Russia has launched four attack drones overnight at the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions of southern Ukraine that were all intercepted but hit civilian areas. In the northernpart of the country, a Russian missile hit a building in Sumy, killing two and wounding 20 more.