In a new development, a drone attack from Ukraine struck a building in Moscow’s central business district, according to Russian authorities on Wednesday. This marks the sixth consecutive night of aerial attacks targeting Russia’s capital and its nearby regions.
Just hours before this incident, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian artillery had struck two villages near the eastern city of Lyman in Ukraine. Tragically, three people lost their lives, and two others sustained injuries due to the shelling.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that their air defense systems successfully intercepted and downed two Ukrainian drones – one in the Mozhaisky district and another in the Khimki district of the Moscow region. Another drone crashed into a building in the Moscow City business district, around five kilometers away from the Kremlin. This drone had been “suppressed” by air defenses before crashing.
Reports from the RIA Novosti news agency indicated that an “explosion” sound was heard in the business district. Smoke was seen rising from the affected buildings. The incident led to a brief suspension of air traffic at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Domodedovo airports, as per the TASS state news agency.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin communicated through the Telegram messaging app that emergency services were swiftly responding to the situation. He noted that windows in two adjacent five-story buildings were shattered due to the impact. Thankfully, both Sobyanin and the Defense Ministry confirmed that there were no casualties reported.
In recent weeks, two other drone attacks targeted the Moscow City business district. While these previous attacks caused minor damage to the facades of high-rise buildings, the recent strike seems to have caused more substantial damage.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has escalated over the past 18 months, resulting in exchanges of drone attacks between the two countries. The ongoing war has led to Ukrainian troops engaging in a persistent counteroffensive against Russian forces.
(With inputs from AFP)
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