2 drones were targeted in Moscow, and Russia blames Ukraine and shoots them down overnight

Officials from Russia stated on Wednesday that two drones fired towards Moscow overnight were shot down by Russian air defenses. This was in response to what they characterized as Ukraine’s latest attempt to attack the Russian capital in an apparent effort to frighten Moscow residents and start a conflict with Russia.

There were no injuries as a result of the drones being stopped as they approached Moscow, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, it was a “terrorist attack.”

According to Sobyanin, one of the drones crashed in the Domodedovo neighborhood south of Moscow, while the other one came down close to the Minsk highway west of the city. The Domodedovo airport is one of the busiest in Moscow.

 

The location of the drones’ launch was unclear, and Ukrainian authorities made no immediate comments. Typically, Ukraine won’t acknowledge or deny such strikes.

 

On July 30 and August 1, drones crashed into the Moscow City commercial sector after being blocked by air defenses in two consecutive instances, momentarily halting flights at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.

 

Russian officials charged Ukraine in May with trying to deploy two drones to strike the Kremlin and kill President Vladimir Putin.

 

Recent drone assaults have targeted locations all around Russia, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it has occupied.

 

According to Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the area around the Russian capital, a factory explosion north of Moscow on Wednesday left at least 31 people wounded amid the stress brought on by the periodic drone assaults.

 

He said that while the explosion took place on the premises of a plant that produces medical equipment in addition to telescopic sights and other optical equipment for the military, it was at a warehouse that housed pyrotechnics.

 

According to Vorobyov, the explosion caused windows in adjoining apartment buildings to be blown out and forced the evacuation of the neighborhood.

 

Another instance that raised concerns was when a dense cloud of smoke was seen Wednesday above the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, according to social media bloggers.

 

Mikhail Razvozzhayev, the governor of Sevastopol nominated by Moscow, stated the smoke was caused by a “fleet training exercise” and asked the locals not to be alarmed. On Telegram, he stated, “Yes, the stench is awful, but it is completely safe. The city is serene overall.

 

Those episodes took place in the midst of Ukraine’s continuing counteroffensive, which Western and Ukrainian officials have warned would be a difficult battle against the Kremlin’s well-entrenched soldiers.

 

Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, said on her official Telegram channel on Wednesday that Russia is resisting the Ukrainians in eastern regions where difficult combat are occurring.

 

“In some areas of the frontline, there are several changes in position every day,” she stated.

 

She said that the efforts of Ukraine had “partial success” there. She remained vague.

 

Independently confirming the assertions of either side was not feasible.