Moscow: Ukraine has launched a major drone attack on Moscow and five other Russian regions, officials here reported, forcing three airports to temporarily halt operations.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted 84 Ukrainian drones over the Moscow, Bryansk, Oryol, Kaluga, Kursk and Tula regions on Sunday. Thirty-four of those drones were shot down over the Moscow region, the ministry said – making it the largest Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow since Russia invaded the country more than two years ago.
A man takes a selfie at a legendary Soviet era T-34 tank on display during an open air interactive museum at Red Square, Moscow, last week.Credit: AP
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported drones being shot down shortly after 7am local time. Andrey Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, said in a Telegram post that there had been a “massive drone attack”. A 52-year-old woman was hospitalised with shrapnel injuries and burns to her face, neck and hands and was in intensive care, he said.
The Defence Ministry said, “falling debris in three settlements” injured five people and caused four house fires.
Unverified videos circulating on Russian Telegram channels appeared to show significant damage following the attacks, with dark smoke billowing from several houses and forests and cars and residential buildings on fire. Social media was flooded with users posting footage of drones flying over their district.
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Moscow’s Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Sheremetyevo airports briefly suspended flight operations, with 36 flights diverted, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency reported.
Ukrainian officials have not commented publicly on the attack. The general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said its drone unit “inflicted fire damage on ammunition warehouses” of a military logistics centre in Bryansk, in south-western Russia.