Moscow experienced one of the largest drone attacks in recent history, according to the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin.
Russian air defense units reportedly intercepted and destroyed 11 drones targeting the capital, with some being taken down over the city of Podolsk, approximately 38 kilometers (24 miles) south of the Kremlin.
“The layered defense of Moscow against enemy UAVs that was created has allowed us to repel all attacks successfully,” Sobyanin announced on Telegram. “This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones ever.”
Due to the drone threats, some commercial flights were redirected from the city’s three airports: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky.
In addition to the attack on Moscow, drone strikes were reported across several other Russian regions.
The governor of Bryansk, Alexander Bogomaz, reported on Telegram that 23 drones were destroyed over the region located on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, six drones were intercepted over Belgorod, three over Kaluga, and two over the Kursk region. Furthermore, a missile was reportedly brought down in the west of the Rostov region.
In total, Russian authorities claimed to have destroyed 45 drones overnight. The Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the attacks.
Moscow has previously experienced drone attacks, with the most notable incident involving a UAV landing on the roof of the Kremlin Senate on the night of May 2 and 3, 2023. Previous attacks usually featured fewer drones and resulted in minimal damage.
Following deep strikes targeting Russian strategic bomber bases in December 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed several Pantsir anti-aircraft systems on the roofs of various buildings in Moscow.
