Three Ukrainian drones were shot down near the Russian capital on Wednesday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced. He stated that experts are currently working at the crash sites.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has reported multiple attempted drone attacks across the country. Some 30 drones are said to have been shot down above Orlov Region and more were destroyed above Crimea, Ryazan Region, Kursk Region, Belgorod Region, Bryansk Region and Lipetsk Region.
While Sobyanin has not provided details as to where exactly the UAVs were struck down on Wednesday afternoon, Evgeniya Khrustaleva, the head of Domodedovo district, located in the southern part of Moscow Region, reported that air defense systems were operating in the area.
As reported by Russian media, shortly before Sobyanin’s message, the capital’s Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports had also imposed temporary restrictions on the takeoff and landing of aircraft. Similar measures have also been put in place at Sheremetyevo Airport.
Residents of Moscow Region have also shared videos, claiming they show Ukrainian drones flying towards the Russian capital, apparently before they were struck down. One clip also purportedly shows a UAV being blown up in the air.
Two of the drones are said to have been shot down in the Domodedovo district, while the third was reportedly destroyed above Moscow Region’s eastern Orekhovo-Zuevo district, local official Ruslan Zagolovatsky has stated. He noted that there was no property damage or casualties.
Later in the day, just past 4pm local time, Sobyanin announced on his Telegram channel that a fourth drone had been taken down by air defense systems above Moscow Region. Less than an hour later, he reported that three more UAVs had been intercepted near the Russian capital.
Wednesday’s midday drone raid on Moscow comes after the Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting and destroying more than 120 Ukrainian UAVs between 8pm on Tuesday and 4am on Wednesday. This reportedly included six drones over the territory of Moscow Region and several dozen more over the neighboring Vladimir, Ryazan, Tula, and Kaluga regions.
