Moscow Faces Largest Drone Attack Since War Began: 34 Drones Downed
On Sunday, Russia's defense ministry announced that it had downed 34 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, marking the largest aerial assault on the capital since the onset of Russia's military operations in Ukraine in 2022. This unprecedented attack led to the temporary closure of three major airports in the city, highlighting the escalating intensity of the conflict.
The attack resulted in injuries to a 52-year-old woman and caused fires in two residential homes located in the village of Stanovoye in the Moscow region, local officials reported. Unlike its Ukrainian counterpart Kyiv, which regularly endures extensive drone and missile strikes, Moscow has largely been spared from such frequent assaults.
According to the defense ministry, a total of 70 Ukrainian drones were intercepted between 04:00 GMT and 07:00 GMT across six different regions. Of these, 34 were taken down within the Moscow region, while the remainder were neutralized over Bryansk, Orlov, Kaluga, Tula, and Kursk. Specific districts in the Moscow area that encountered drone activity included Ramenskoye, Kolomna, and Domodedovo, with video footage circulating on social media showing a house ablaze in the Ramenskoye district.
Previously, the most significant drone attack targeting Moscow occurred in September, which resulted in the death of a woman in Ramenskoye—the first reported fatality in a Ukrainian attack near the capital since the conflict escalated. Earlier this year, in May, two drones were downed near the Kremlin, and there have been multiple drone incidents within the Moscow City business district throughout 2023.
Reacting to the attack, Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, characterized the operation as massive. He confirmed that the injured woman had suffered serious burns covering her face, neck, and hands and was hospitalized as a result. The Russian defense ministry also reported the destruction of 23 Ukrainian drones over the bordering regions of Bryansk, Rostov, Belgorod, and Kursk, which have historically faced more frequent drone strikes.
In a statement, Andrei Klychkov, the governor of Orlov region—closer to Moscow—reported that air defense systems had successfully shot down a total of 10 drones on the same day without any reported casualties.
In recent months, Ukraine has indicated that its drone offensives are responses to Russian assaults on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure since the conflict began in February 2022. Notably, a recent barrage of Russian bombardments against Ukrainian urban centers during the night from Thursday to Friday last week resulted in one death and injuries to over thirty individuals. During these attacks, Russia's air force reportedly launched a massive offensive involving five missiles and 92 drones targeting sites across Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense managed to intercept four missiles and down 62 drones, showcasing the ongoing intensity and volatility of the war.
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