The drone attack on Tuesday morning in Moscow caught the city off guard and caused minor damage to some structures, leading to evacuations. This marked Russia’s third attack on Kyiv within a 24-hour period, as it continued its relentless bombardment.
According to the Russian defence ministry, three drones had their systems jammed, causing them to deviate from their intended trajectory. While five other drones were successfully shot down. The incident was described as a “terrorist attack” by the “Kyiv regime.”
This drone attack was significant because it brought the war to civilians residing in Moscow. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that it caused only “insignificant damage” to several buildings. He mentioned in a Telegram post that two individuals required medical attention for undisclosed injuries but did not need hospitalization. The residents of two damaged high-rise buildings were evacuated.
Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the greater Moscow region, reported that some drones were shot down before reaching Moscow.
Ukraine, which has been facing Russia‘s full-scale invasion for over 15 months, has not directly commented on this offensive, which represents one of its most audacious and perilous incursions into Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, upon learning about the drone attack, started gathering information from various government institutions. However, he stated that he does not plan to address the nation following the incident.
The Kremlin’s approach seems to downplay the significance of these attacks, according to Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and political analyst. In a Telegram thread, she questions why Putin is seemingly unafraid of the consequences and why he is not acting differently given the circumstances.
The efficiency of Russia’s air defence systems has come under scrutiny as a result of these strikes.
