(Reuters) – Russia’s defence ministry announced that two drones launched from Ukraine attacked Moscow early Monday morning. However, the drones were successfully intercepted and destroyed, with fragments found approximately 2 kilometers away from the ministry’s buildings. The defence ministry referred to the incident as a “terrorist attack” and confirmed that there were no casualties.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also commented on the attack, stating that two non-residential buildings were hit. The timing of the attack was around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT), although it remains uncertain whether the drones deliberately targeted the buildings or if they were hit during interception. The exact location of the interception was not disclosed by either the defence ministry or the mayor.
Russian state news agencies reported that drone fragments were discovered near a building on Komsomolsky Avenue, which is close to the defence ministry’s buildings. Traffic was temporarily closed on Komsomolsky Avenue and Likhachev Avenue, as a high-rise office building on the latter avenue was damaged.
The defence ministry’s television channel, Zvezda, shared a brief video on its Telegram channel depicting a high-rise building with missing windows and structural damage on the top floors. Additionally, other Russian Telegram channels associated with security forces published videos showing glass and concrete debris on Komsomolsky Avenue.
As of now, there has been no official statement from Kyiv regarding the incident. While Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for attacks in Russia or on Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory, it has previously suggested that targeting Russia’s military infrastructure aids their counteroffensive efforts.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne;; Editing by Kim Coghill & Simon Cameron-Moore)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
