Moscow experienced an unprecedented drone attack that resulted in minor injuries and damage to buildings. Simultaneously, Russian drones continued to strike Kyiv for the third consecutive day.
A swarm of drones hit Moscow on Tuesday in an unprecedented attack, and Russian drones struck Kyiv for a third straight day as Ukraine gears up for a significant offensive against Russian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry blamed Kyiv for the attacks on Moscow and the surrounding region, which left two people lightly injured and what it said was “minor” damage to buildings.
Two residential buildings that were hit are located in the affluent southwestern part of the Russian capital and near the city center. One of them is close to a popular park.
Two drones were intercepted over the Kremlin earlier this month, but this was the first time uncrewed aerial vehicles hit residential areas of Moscow, which is located hundreds of kilometers from the front lines in Ukraine.
The raids will be seen as a psychological blow and a major embarrassment for the Kremlin, which has gone to great lengths to say the protracted conflict does not pose a threat to Russians.
The Russian defense ministry said that eight drones were used in the attack.
Moscow and regional authorities confirmed the attack.
Since the start of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, drone attacks have hit targets outside Moscow, including military installations far from the front.
Also on Tuesday, Ukraine said it had downed 29 out of 31 drones, mainly over Kyiv and the Kyiv region, in the latest Russian barrage — the third on the capital in 24 hours.
On Monday, Russia fired missiles at Kyiv, sending panicked residents running for shelter in an unusual daytime attack on the Ukrainian capital following overnight strikes.
Kyiv received its first shipments of the American-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system in April, and US President Joe Biden on Monday suggested more aid was to come.
Kyiv has been preparing an offensive, although its timing and focus have been the subject of months of speculation.
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
