Russia says thwarts Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow
A view shows a damaged building following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, July 24, 2023. REUTERS
Two Ukraine-launched drones attacked Moscow early on Monday, but were intercepted and destroyed, Russia’s defense ministry said. State news agencies reported that drone fragments were found 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away from the ministry’s buildings.
Calling it a “terrorist attack,” the defense ministry said on its Telegram messaging app that there were no casualties in the attack.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging app that two non-residential buildings were struck during the attack, which happened around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT). It was unclear whether the drones hit the buildings when they were downed, or whether they deliberately targeted the buildings.
Neither the defense ministry nor the mayor said where the drones were intercepted.
Russia’s state news agencies reported, citing emergency services, said that drone fragments were found near a building on the Komsomolsky Avenue, which is not far from the defense ministry’s buildings.
Traffic was closed on the Komsomolsky Avenue as well as was on Likhachev Avenue in Moscow’s south, where a high-rise office building was damaged, Russian news agencies reported.
Russia’s defense ministry television channel Zvezda published a short video on its Telegram channel showing a high-rise building with missing windows on top floors and damaged structure.
Other Russian Telegram channels, with links to Russia’s security forces, published videos of glass and concrete debris on what they said was the Komsomolsky Avenue.
There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but has been saying in recent months that destroying Russia’s military infrastructure helps Kyiv’s counteroffensive.
