Ukraine Launches Major Drone Attack on Moscow; 11 Drones Intercepted
Ongoing Drone Attacks by Ukraine Target Russian Refineries and Airfields
On Wednesday, Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow, deploying at least 11 drones. Russian air defenses successfully intercepted all of them, marking one of the largest drone strikes on the Russian capital since the onset of the conflict in February 2022.
The conflict, predominantly characterized by prolonged artillery and drone engagements in eastern Ukraine, intensified on August 6 when Ukraine mounted a significant incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Ukraine has also been targeting Russian refineries and airfields with drones, yet large-scale attacks on Moscow itself have been relatively rare.
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According to Russia’s defense ministry, its forces downed a total of 45 drones across various regions. This includes 11 drones over Moscow, 23 over Bryansk, six over Belgorod, three over Kaluga, and two over Kursk.
Some of the drones were intercepted over Podolsk, a city about 38 km (24 miles) south of the Kremlin. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the attack as one of the largest drone assaults on the capital to date and praised the city’s layered defense system for successfully repelling the strikes.
Despite the heightened security, Moscow’s streets remained bustling with activity, and there was little visible concern among residents. President Vladimir Putin continued with his scheduled meetings, including one with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in the Kremlin.
Russian citizens, speaking anonymously, suggested that the thwarted drone attack highlighted Moscow’s robust defenses and warned that Ukraine’s actions—both in Kursk and Moscow—were provocative. Meanwhile, Russia continues its advances in eastern Ukraine, where it controls approximately 18% of the territory, and is battling against Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk, which represents the largest foreign attack on Russian soil since World War II.
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Russian media released unverified footage showing drones being shot down in the Moscow region, which briefly affected flight operations at Moscow’s airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky—before normal services resumed after four hours.
Moscow officials reported no injuries or damage from the drone attack, and similar reports came from Bryansk. Additionally, Russia’s RIA state news agency mentioned that two drones were destroyed over Tula, a neighboring region, and that air defenses had intercepted a Ukrainian missile in the Rostov region, though this was not included in the defense ministry’s official list of destroyed Ukrainian weapons.
The latest drone assault on Moscow is comparable to a similar incident in May 2023, when at least eight drones were brought down over the city, an attack Putin described as an attempt by Ukraine to intimidate and provoke Russia.
In Kursk, intense fighting continues, with Ukrainian forces having reclaimed at least 450 square kilometers (175 square miles) of territory.
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