DRONES TARGET MOSCOW AS KYIV ATTACKED AGAIN

Two injured and buildings lightly damaged in the Russian capital while Ukraine claims to shoot down more than 20 devices in third strike in 24 hours

Ukrainian drones struck at Moscow yesterday and were shot down, Russian authorities said in what one politician called the worst attack on the capital since World War II, while Kyiv was hit for the third time in 24 hours.

Since Russia sent troops into its neighbour in February last year, the war has largely been fought inside Ukraine, though Moscow has reported some attacks on its territory including an alleged assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin.

Putin was briefed about the drone attacks on Moscow, his spokesman said.

Dmitry Peskov also said Russian air defences and the defence ministry had worked well in dealing with the assault and added there were no plans for Putin to comment on the attack, which Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

The Kremlin claimed the attack was a “response” by Kyiv to a recent Russian strike in Ukraine.

“It is completely clear that we are talking about response acts by the Kyiv regime to very effective strikes on a command centre [in Ukraine],” Peskov said, without clarifying where the Russian strike took place.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the early morning assault had injured two people, while some residents in two lightly damaged residential blocks were briefly evacuated, claiming the attack caused “insignificant damage” to several buildings.

Russia’s defence ministry said eight drones were sent by Kyiv and all shot down, though Baza, a Telegram channel with links to the security services, said more than 25 drones were involved.

Video on social media showed one apparently being hit with a plume of smoke rising over the Moscow skyline.

Lawmaker Maxim Ivanov termed it the most serious assault on Moscow since the Nazis in World War II, saying no citizen could now avoid “the new reality”.

“You will either defeat the enemy as a single fist with our Motherland, or the indelible shame of cowardice, collaboration and betrayal will engulf your family,” he said.

Two weeks ago, two drones exploded over the Kremlin in an attack Russia also blamed on Kyiv and said was aimed at Putin.

A Ukrainian presidential aide denied Kyiv was directly involved in yesterday’s drone attack, but said Ukraine was enjoying watching the events and predicted an increase in such attacks.

“Regarding the attacks: of course, we are pleased to watch and predict an increase in the number of attacks. But, of course, we have nothing directly to do with this,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told the Breakfast Show YouTube channel.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian defence forces said they had shot down more than 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones.

One person died and four were injured when debris from a destroyed Russian projectile hit a high-rise residential building sparking a fire, Ukrainian officials said. Two upper floors of the building were destroyed with people possibly still under rubble.

Photos from Kyiv officials and reporters showed flames engulfing the top of the building.

“The attack was massive, came from different directions, in several waves,” Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram.

Russia has attacked Kyiv 17 times this month with drones or missiles, mostly at night, in an apparent attempt to undermine Ukrainians’ will to fight after more than 15 months of war.

“These missile attacks of a fairly dense frequency are aimed specifically at exhausting both our air defence forces and our physical and moral strength,” said Natalya Gumenyuk, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s southern military command.

It is completely clear that we are talking about response acts by the Kyiv regime

DMITRY PESKOV, RUSSIAN SPOKESMAN

President Volodymyr Zelensky said US-supplied Patriot anti-missile defences were doing their job.

“When Patriots in the hands of Ukrainians ensure a 100 per cent interception rate of any Russian missile, terror will be defeated,” he said in his nightly video address on Monday.

Ukraine is promising a counteroffensive backed with Western weapons to try to drive Russian troops from territory seized since Moscow launched what it calls its “special military operation”.

On the eastern front lines, Russian paratroops and motorised units were replacing Wagner mercenary units in the city of Bakhmut, which has been the main focus of fighting for months, according to a Ukrainian military representative.

Moscow said it invaded Ukraine to “denazify” its neighbour and protect Russian speakers. Western opponents say the invasion is an imperialist land grab.

Moscow says it is open to resuming stalled peace talks with Kyiv and has welcomed mediation efforts from Brazil and China.

But Kyiv insists full withdrawal of Russian troops is the only way to end the war.