Zelensky on the Moscow drone attack: “War is returning to Russia”

After a drone strike on Moscow, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that war might return to Russia.

Attacks on Russian territory, according to Mr Zelensky, are a “inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process” of the two countries’ fight.

According to Russia’s defence ministry, three Ukrainian drones were shot down on Sunday, with two of them crashing into workplaces.

Vnukovo Airport, located southwest of the city core, was also momentarily closed.

The drone attack in the early hours of Sunday is the latest blamed on Kiev by Moscow.

In a video message from the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk on Sunday, Mr Zelensky stated that Ukraine was becoming stronger.

“Today marks the 522nd day of the so-called ‘Special Military Operation,’ which the Russian leadership expected to last a few weeks,” he stated.

“The war is gradually returning to Russian territory – to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an unavoidable, natural, and completely fair process.”

This portrayal is undoubtedly a step beyond Kyiv’s usual stance of refusing to accept responsibility for assaults within Russia.

It’s far from a confession, but President Zelensky certainly feels confident enough to put pressure on everyone, not just the Kremlin.

Drone attacks like these also provide him with an opportunity to address the Russian people, the vast majority of whom appear to feel Moscow’s invasion is just and noble.

If they link local explosives to what’s going on in Ukraine, as Mr Zelensky suggests, it makes it even more difficult for Vladimir Putin to justify his invasion, which he intends to escalate.

The drone strike caused no injuries, according to officials, and the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, stated the façade of two office buildings were mildly damaged.

Photos from the scene reveal that several windows at the corner of the buildings have been smashed, with debris thrown on the ground below.

One eyewitness, who only revealed her first name, Liya, told Reuters she saw flames and smoke.

“We heard an explosion, and it was like a wave, and everyone jumped,” she explained.

“There was a lot of smoke at that point, and you couldn’t see anything.” Fire could be seen from above.”

Flights from Vnukovo Airport, southwest of the city centre, were temporarily halted, and inbound planes were rerouted to other airports.

The defence ministry claimed in a statement that the “attempted terrorist attack” had been “thwarted.”

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow, which is around 500 kilometres (310 miles) from the Ukrainian border, has been rarely targeted.

However, Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a series of drone strikes on its territory in recent months, including some in Kiev.

The most significant incident occurred in May, when Russia claimed Ukraine used two drones to strike the Kremlin, the city’s core. Ukraine denies striking the Kremlin or attempting to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.

According to Russia’s defence ministry, Ukraine also carried out a nocturnal drone strike on Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. According to Tass news agency, 16 drones were destroyed and another nine were silenced.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials claim a Russian missile attack on the city of Sumy in the country’s north east has killed one person and injured five others.

According to state broadcaster Suspilne, an explosion demolished a building around 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT).

Officials also report that two individuals were killed on Saturday in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.

BBC