Russian air defense systems destroyed nearly a dozen Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow overnight, the city’s mayor said early Wednesday, calling it one of the largest air attacks on the Russian capital since the start of the war.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said ten Ukrainian drones were shot down over the surrounding Moscow region as they approached the city.
“It’s one of the largest-ever attempts to attack Moscow with drones,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. He said no one was injured and no property damage was reported.
Unverified videos shared on social media purportedly showed several of the drones being shot down at night.
In a morning statement, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems downed 11 drones over the Moscow region.
Overall, the Russian military said it destroyed 45 Ukrainian drones across Russia overnight. Besides the Moscow region, the drones also targeted the regions of Byransk, Belgord, Kaluga and Kursk.
Drone attacks on Moscow are rare, with Russia saying in May that it had downed an unmanned aircraft outside the capital, prompting two major airports to impose temporary flight restrictions.
Kyiv has repeatedly targeted oil and gas facilities in Russia since the full-scale invasion in 2022, some hundreds of kilometers from its borders, in what it has called “fair” retaliation for attacks on its energy infrastructure.
AFP contributed reporting.
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