Ukraine launches 'one of the largest' drone attacks in Moscow, mayor says By Reuters

Written by Lidia Kelly

(Reuters) – Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone attack on Moscow on Wednesday, the city's mayor said, when Russia's air defense forces destroyed 11 drones flying toward the capital.

Some drones were destroyed in the city of Podolsk, said Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. The city in Moscow region is about 38 kilometers (24 miles) south of the Kremlin.

“This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones that we have ever had,” Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app at 4:43 am (0143 GMT).

The attack comes as Russia – while advancing in eastern Ukraine – struggles to push Ukrainian troops out of its Kursk base, two weeks after it breached Russia's western border in Russia's biggest offensive since World War Two.

Sobyanin said that according to preliminary information, no injuries or damages were reported after the attack.

Ukraine has usually launched one or two drones towards Moscow in recent months, without causing much damage.

Wednesday's attack, however, appears to be bigger than the May 2023 attack when at least eight planes were destroyed in the capital in what President Vladimir Putin said was an attempt by Kyiv to intimidate and provoke Russia.

Russian officials rarely disclose the full size of the attack, reporting only drones destroyed by its air defenses.

Both Ukraine and Russia also rarely disclose the full extent of damage caused by their attacks, except when residential or civilian infrastructure is damaged, or civilians die.

Wednesday's attack on Moscow was part of a wider offensive by Ukrainian aircraft in Russia and the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense facilities also destroyed 23 drones in the Bryansk region.

Six drones were destroyed over Belgorod, another Russian region bordering Ukraine, three in Kaluga region, which borders Moscow region in its northeast, and two in Kursk region, the ministry said.

There were no injuries or damage reported after the attack in the border region of Bryansk in southwestern Russia, Alexander Bogomaz, the region's governor wrote on Telegram.

The Russian news agency RIA also reported that two drones were destroyed in the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region in its north.

Separately, Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov region in southwestern Russia, said the air defense force destroyed a missile launched by Ukraine over the region, with no reported injuries.

Russia's Ministry of Defense did not mention Tula or Rostov in its statement of the list of air defenses destroyed.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

In recent months, Kyiv has stepped up its air strikes on Russian territory, saying its aim is to destroy key infrastructure for Moscow's war effort. It also says its attack is in response to ongoing Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory. (This story has been reposted to correct errors)