Russian MoD says Ukraine drone attack in Moscow City thwarted

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Jul 2023 08:05

The Russian Defense Ministry confirms that there are no casualties or damage from the drone attack.

Ukrainian soldier launches a drone on Jan. 25, 2023. (AFP)

Russia's defense ministry reported that three Ukrainian drones were shot down over Moscow early on Sunday, causing a brief closure of the international airport.

One drone was destroyed on the city's outskirts, while two others were rendered inoperative and crashed into an office complex without causing injuries.

These recent drone attacks, including some targeting the Kremlin and Russian towns near the Ukrainian border, have been attributed to Kiev by Moscow.

The Russian defense ministry labeled the incident as an "attempted terrorist attack," adding that "On the morning of July 30, the Kiev regime's attempted terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow was thwarted."

"One Ukrainian UAV was destroyed in the air by air defense systems over the territory of the Odintsovo district of Moscow region."

"Two more drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, having lost control, crashed on the territory of Moscow-City's non-residential building complex," it added.

Moscow City, a commercial development to the west of the city, experienced minor damage to two office towers, but there were no recorded casualties.

The Vnukovo airport was temporarily closed but soon resumed normal operations.

Not an isolated incident

A series of drone attacks caused temporary disruptions to air traffic at the airport in Moscow's southwest earlier this month.

According to Russia's foreign ministry, the recent attacks carried out by Ukraine, including the drone strikes on Moscow, would not have been possible without assistance from the United States and its NATO allies.

On Friday, Russia reported intercepting two missiles over its southern Rostov region, adjacent to the Ukrainian border, resulting in at least 16 injuries from falling debris in the city of Taganrog. Subsequently, Russia claimed to have shot down a second S-200 missile near the city of Azov, with the debris falling into an uninhabited area.

These attacks are occurring amidst a Ukrainian counter-offensive, which according to Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed.

Ukraine losses at least 10,000 drones a month: The Washington Post

Ukraine's estimated drone losses are around 10,000 units per month, The Washington Post said on Wednesday. Ukrainian authorities claim that the losses are much less, saying that the figure is closer to 1,000 drones per month.

The newspaper cited a UK-based think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, which gave the ten thousand estimate, contradicting Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who told the WP that Russian forces are bringing down only 1,000 drones a month.

The New York Times reported that in the first two weeks of Ukraine's counteroffensive, Kiev's armed forces lost around 20% of the equipment sent out to the frontline, highlighting the ineffectiveness of their offensive strategy and the success of Russian defenses.