Russia downs 3 combat drones in latest attempted raid on Moscow

Russian air defenses has successfully intercepted and neutralized three combat drones attempting to breach Moscow’s airspace. Authorities have accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attempted raid on the Russian capital city. The incident marked another in a series of drone attacks that have plagued Moscow in recent weeks.

According to Russia’s defense ministry, the defense systems effectively shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) outside the city, while a third drone was electronically jammed, causing it to crash into a building in downtown Moscow. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on the messaging app Telegram that one of the downed drones struck a building under construction in central Moscow, while another was taken down in a western district of the city.

The defense ministry revealed that the third drone was intercepted in the Khimki district of Moscow. Consequently, air traffic at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Domodedovo airports was temporarily suspended. This was the second consecutive day of airport disruptions caused by drone attacks.

Reports from emergency services indicated that a building under construction in Moscow’s business district sustained minor damage. Sobyanin confirmed that windows in two adjacent five-story buildings were shattered, but fortunately, there were no reports of casualties.

Video footage circulated on Russian-language social media depicted the moment one of the drones crashed into an office building, accompanied by a bright flash, a powerful explosion, and ensuing smoke.

The recent escalation follows a pattern of drone incursions, including a prior incident where two drones were downed in Krasnogorsk and Chastsy within the Moscow region, as well as near the Ukrainian border in the Bryansk region. Windows were shattered in a multi-story residential building in Krasnogorsk, and ground vehicles sustained damage from falling debris.

These drone raids have become disturbingly regular in recent weeks, aligning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s warning that the conflict initiated by Moscow in Ukraine might soon reach Russian soil.

In response to the situation, a spokesperson from the US State Department conveyed that the United States, a major military supporter of Kyiv, does not endorse or facilitate attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian territory. The State Department maintained that Ukraine has the autonomy to decide its defense strategies against Russia’s ongoing invasion.