Moscow

Ukraine launched one of its largest drone strikes on Moscow on Wednesday, targeting the Russian capital with at least 11 drones that were successfully shot down by air defenses, according to Russian officials. This marks one of the most significant drone assaults on Moscow since the conflict between the two nations began in February 2022.

The ongoing war, characterized by relentless artillery and drone battles across eastern Ukraine, escalated on August 6 when Ukraine deployed thousands of soldiers across the border into Russia’s western Kursk region. In addition to the ground battles, Ukraine has intensified its drone warfare, targeting Russian refineries and airfields. However, large-scale drone attacks on the Moscow region, which has a population exceeding 21 million, have been relatively rare.

Russia’s defense ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted a total of 45 drones across various regions of the country, including 11 over the Moscow region, 23 in the Bryansk region, six in Belgorod, three in Kaluga, and two in Kursk. Some of the drones were shot down over the city of Podolsk, located about 38 kilometers south of the Kremlin, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

“This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones ever,” Sobyanin stated on the Telegram messaging app in the early hours of Wednesday. “The layered defense of Moscow that was created made it possible to successfully repel all the attacks from the enemy UAVs.”

Despite the heightened tensions, life in Moscow appeared largely undisturbed. The city’s boulevards, cafes, restaurants, and shops were bustling, showing little sign of concern. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin was meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in the Kremlin.

Two Russian citizens, speaking anonymously to Reuters, suggested that the foiled drone attack highlighted the effectiveness of Moscow’s defenses. They also warned that Ukraine was “playing with fire” by extending its attacks to both Kursk and the Russian capital.