10-9-2024 (MOSCOW) The Moscow region was struck by the largest drone attack it has faced to date. The assault, which occurred on Tuesday, resulted in the death of at least one woman, extensive damage to residential areas, and significant disruption to air traffic in the Russian capital.
Russian authorities reported that they successfully intercepted and destroyed at least 20 Ukrainian attack drones over the Moscow region, which is home to more than 21 million people. An additional 124 drones were reportedly neutralised across eight other regions of Russia. The scale of the attack marks a significant intensification of Ukraine’s strategy to bring the conflict closer to the heart of Russian territory.
The most severe impact was felt in the Ramenskoye district, approximately 50 kilometres southeast of the Kremlin. Local residents described scenes of chaos and destruction as they awoke to explosions and fires. Alexander Li, a resident of the area, told Reuters, “I looked at the window and saw a ball of fire. The window got blown out by the shockwave.”
Moscow regional governor Andrei Vorobyov confirmed that a 46-year-old woman lost her life in the attack, with three others sustaining injuries. The assault caused substantial damage to high-rise apartment buildings, with some flats catching fire.
The drone offensive had far-reaching consequences beyond the immediate destruction. Three of Moscow’s four major airports were forced to close for over six hours, leading to the diversion of nearly 50 flights. This disruption to air traffic underscores the potential for such attacks to cause widespread economic and logistical chaos.
In response to the attack, Russia’s defence ministry reported that more than 70 drones were also intercepted over the Bryansk region, with additional UAVs neutralised in other areas. However, no casualties or damage were reported in these instances.
Drones attacked the Moscow region. One person was killed. The attack was the largest since the beginning of the war
Ukraine overnight conducted the largest (according to the Russian Defense Ministry) drone attack on the Moscow region. A 46-year-old woman was killed when one UAV… pic.twitter.com/54rebgPNqV
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 10, 2024
The assault on Moscow comes as part of an apparent Ukrainian strategy to take the war to Russian soil. It follows a cross-border attack in Russia’s western Kursk region that began on 6 August and represents a significant escalation in Ukraine’s use of drones for long-range strikes deep within Russian territory.
This latest incident highlights the evolving nature of the conflict, which has largely been characterised by artillery exchanges and drone warfare along the 1,000-kilometre front line in southern and eastern Ukraine. Both sides have been racing to develop and deploy innovative drone technologies, transforming commercial drones into lethal weapons and ramping up production to target military assets and infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced these Ukrainian drone attacks as “terrorism,” accusing Kyiv of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure. He has vowed to respond to such actions, raising concerns about further escalation of the conflict.
While there has been no immediate comment from Ukraine regarding Tuesday’s attack, Kyiv has previously asserted its right to strike back deep into Russian territory. However, this stance has caused some unease among Ukraine’s Western allies, who are wary of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
