Moscow: Russian defences downed Ukrainian drones in Moscow and the region around the capital early Wednesday, the defence ministry and the mayor said. No casualties were reported.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said one drone fell into a building under construction in Moscow City, a prestigious business complex hit by drones twice before. Several windows were broken in two buildings nearby and emergency services responded to the scene.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the drone had been electronically jammed.
It blamed the attack on Ukraine and said two other drones were shot down by air defense systems in the Mozhaisk and Khimki areas of the Moscow region.
Moscow airports briefly closed but have now reopened, according to Russian state media.
Ukraine has since early this year sought to take the war into the heart of Russia. It has increasingly targeted Moscow’s military assets behind the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine and at the same time has launched drones against Moscow.
Though drone attacks on Russian soil have occurred almost daily in recent weeks, they have caused little damage and no victims.
Ukraine hasn’t acknowledged responsibility for the attempted drone strikes.
Kyiv is also trying to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin along multiple fronts, pursuing a counteroffensive at various points along the 1,500-kilometre (900-mile) front line, as well as diplomatically by obtaining pledges of more weaponry from its Western allies, including F-16 warplanes.
AP