Russian Air Defense downs Ukrainian drones in Moscow Region: MoD
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The Russian Defense Ministry says one drone crashed near the settlement of Pokrovskoe, and no injuries were recorded.
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A Ukrainian soldier launching a drone in the sky (AFP)
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Monday that the Russian air defense repelled two Ukrainian drone attacks by means of electronic warfare, adding that they crashed in the Moscow Region.
"On August 21, at about 06:50 Moscow time [03:50 GMT], an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack with an unmanned aerial vehicle of an aircraft type was thwarted," the Ministry announced at first then added that another drone was shot down in the Istra region at 08:16. It was shot down by the air defense forces on duty, the Ministry specified.
It indicated that "the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was detected by the air defense forces over the territory of the Moscow Region and suppressed by means of electronic warfare."
The Ministry added that having lost control, the drone crashed near the settlement of Pokrovskoe, confirming that no injuries were recorded.
As a result, the capital's Vnukovo airport temporarily is not accepting or sending flights, the press service of the airport reported.
It added that for security reasons, part of the flights was redirected to other air harbors from 06:25 [Moscow time].
Similarly, the Domodedovo airport told Sputnik that it had introduced restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft from 6:26 Moscow time (03:26 GMT) as part of additional security measures.
"According to the decision of the State Air Traffic Management Corporation, in order to ensure additional flight safety measures, temporary restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft from 06:26 a.m. were introduced at the Moscow Domodedovo airport," the press service of the airport said.
Later, the airport officials told Sputnik that restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft were in effect until 8:30 Moscow time (05:30 GMT), adding that the airport is currently operating normally.
On Saturday night, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin revealed that the Russian air defense forces successfully intercepted a Ukrainian drone attempting to breach Moscow's airspace from the south, Sputnik reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry later provided more information on the incident, indicating that the drone was neutralized through electronic warfare, causing it to lose control and crash in an uninhabited area. Fortunately, no casualties or damage resulted from the crash, the ministry assured.
However, the situation took a different turn in the central Russian city of Kursk, where a Ukrainian drone crashed onto the rooftop of a railway station, triggering a fire and causing injuries.
"Ukrainian drone attack in Kursk. According to preliminary information, it crashed into the roof of the railway station building, setting off a fire on the rooftop. Five people were slightly injured by shards of glass," Kursk Region Governor Roman Starovoit said on telegram.
State-run Russian news agency TASS reported that five people were slightly injured by shards of glass.
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