Ukraine launched at least 34 drones at Moscow on Sunday, the biggest strike on the Russian capital since the start of the war in early 2022.
The attack on the capital left one person injured and interrupted dozens of flights in the airports of Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky, according to Kremlin officials.
“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using an airplane-type drones on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Along with the attacks in Moscow, the Russian military said it intercepted another 36 drones that were launched across the nation’s western region on Sunday.
Ukrainian military officials added that another drone barrage was fired at Russia’s Bryansk region, where local authorities reported that at least 14 drones were downed.
Unverified videos posted on Russian Telegram showed drones soaring overhead in the region.
The assault on Moscow comes after the Kremlin has repeatedly bombarded Ukraine’s capital in recent days, with the Russian forces launching a record 145 drones overnight, according to Kyiv officials.
Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 62 of those drones, with the explosive UAVs repeatedly hitting civilian buildings and Kyiv’s energy infrastructure.
Drone warfare has evolved as the key method of attack between Russia and Ukraine amid the stagnant advances along the frontlines.
With the war nearing its third year, Moscow has developed an “umbrella” defense system capable of shooting down drones before they can reach the Kremlin’s headquarters.
The defense system has allowed Putin to insulate Moscow from the realities of the brutal war, with reporters noting a lack of fear in the city streets despite Sunday’s attack.
Russian soldiers on the frontlines, however, have reported visceral fear of drones, with the sentiment shared by Kyiv’s troops.
Since the war began, both sides have shared military footage of macabre drone attacks killing enemy combatants to demoralize each other.
Ukrainian civilians have also reported deep-seeded fears of Russian drones after the UAVs repeatedly killed and injured civilians living in the retaken city of Kherson.
Between July and October alone, drones and mines killed an estimated 133 people and wounded another 1,350 others, according to Kherson authorities.
With Post wires
