In Moscow, Russia, early on Sunday, July 30, 2023, investigators look at a damaged building in the “Moscow City” business sector following a claimed drone strike.
Russian authorities claim that three Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow early on Sunday, inflicting one injury and forcing one of the four airports in the area to temporarily close to traffic.
As Russia’s conflict in Ukraine enters its 18th month, this was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, raising fears about Moscow’s susceptibility to assaults.
Three drones were reportedly used by the Kyiv regime in a “attempted terrorist attack,” according to the Russian Defence Ministry. Air defence systems in the area around Moscow shot down one and jammed two more. They both collided with the city’s financial centre, Moscow City.
Skyscraper facade with one storey damaged was visible in photos taken at the crash scene. The attack, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, “insignificantly damaged” the exteriors of two buildings in the Moscow City neighbourhood. According to reports from emergency personnel and the state news agency of Russia, Tass, a security guard was hurt.
According to Tass, there were no flights into or out of the southern city airport Vnukovo for approximately an hour, and all aircraft were temporarily barred from the air space over Moscow and the surrounding areas. Later, such limitations were lifted.
The collision location in the Moscow City neighbourhood is next to a street that has been blocked to traffic by Moscow officials.
Ukrainian authorities, who almost never if ever claim responsibility for strikes on Russian territory, have not yet spoken.
A Ukrainian drone was shot down by Russia on Friday outside of Moscow, according to the defence ministry. Monday saw two additional drone attacks on the Russian capital, one of which landed in the middle of the city close to the Defence Ministry’s offices along the Moscow River, just two miles (kilometres) from the Kremlin. A southern Moscow office block was struck by the other drone, which destroyed many higher levels.
In a separate strike on July 4, the Russian military said that five drones were jammed and forced to crash, and that four of them were shot down by air defences on the outskirts of Moscow.
