Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike on Moscow

Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike that damaged at least two buildings in Moscow early Monday morning.

According to the Russian military ministry, two drones were “suppressed and crashed,” with no injuries.

According to Russia’s state-owned Tass news service, one drone crashed near the defence ministry.

Officials in Ukraine have yet to respond, but they seldom claim credit for assaults within Russia.

Drone strikes damaged “non-residential” structures about 04:00 local time (01:00 GMT), according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. He also stated that no substantial damage had occurred to the buildings.

However, state media said that several drone components were discovered approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) away from the defence ministry’s premises.

“A Kyiv regime attempt to carry out a terrorist act using two drones on objects on the territory of the city of Moscow was stopped,” the Russian defence ministry said in a telegram message.

According to the state-run Tass news agency, drone debris was also discovered along the city’s Komsomolsky Avenue. Moscow’s transport administration said on Telegram that traffic was backed up along the road, and photographs showed emergency personnel on the site.

On Likhachev Avenue, where a high-rise office block was damaged, traffic was also halted. Missing windows at the top of the building were shown in footage broadcast on the military Zvezda TV channel.

In recent months, Russia has accused Ukraine of a slew of drone assaults on its territory.

Russia claimed earlier this month that Ukraine launched a drone strike on Moscow, forcing flights from Vnukovo International Airport to be diverted. Ukraine has not accepted responsibility.

In May, Kiev denied carrying out a drone attack on the Kremlin, which Russia claimed amounted to an assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin.

Monday’s event came just a day after Russia launched more missile strikes on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, demolishing the ancient Transfiguration Cathedral.

The United Nations’ cultural office, Unesco, said it was “deeply dismayed and condemns in the strongest terms” the attack on Odesa’s historic centre.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has pledged vengeance for the attack.

“They will definitely feel this,” he stated from Kyiv during his nightly speech. “All of these missiles are not merely aimed at cities, villages, or people. Their objective is humanity and the roots of European culture as a whole.”