21-8-2024 (MOSCOW) In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow found itself under siege from what city officials are calling one of the largest drone attacks ever attempted on the Russian capital. The assault, which unfolded in the early hours of 21 August, saw at least 11 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) destroyed by Russian air defence systems as they approached the city.
Moscow’s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, took to the messaging platform Telegram at 4:43 am local time to inform residents of the situation. “The air defence systems of the defence ministry continue to repel enemy UAV attacks,” Sobyanin stated, emphasising the unprecedented scale of the assault. “This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones ever. We will continue to monitor the situation.”
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According to preliminary reports, some of the drones were neutralised over Podolsk, a city in the Moscow region situated approximately 38 kilometres south of the Kremlin. Despite the intensity of the attack, Mayor Sobyanin reported that there were no immediate indications of injuries or significant damage.
This latest incursion marks a notable escalation from previous drone operations targeting Moscow, which typically involved only one or two UAVs and resulted in minimal damage. The timing of the attack is particularly significant, coming as Russian forces struggle to repel Ukrainian advances in the Kursk region, following a major breach of Russia’s western border two weeks prior – the largest incursion since World War II.
The assault on Moscow was part of a broader offensive that saw multiple regions across Russia targeted. The Russian defence ministry reported the destruction of 23 drones over the Bryansk region, six over Belgorod, three in Kaluga, and two in the contested Kursk region. Additionally, the Tula region, bordering Moscow to the north, reportedly downed two drones, although this was not confirmed in the official defence ministry statement.
In a separate incident, the governor of the Rostov region in southwestern Russia, Vasily Golubev, announced the interception of a Ukraine-launched missile, with no casualties reported.
