Ukrainian Drone Attack Damages Buildings in Russian Town, Another Drone Shot Down near Moscow
Russia’s Kurchatov town in the Kursk region was the target of a Ukrainian drone attack, damaging an administrative and residential building. Local officials have reported that a second drone was also shot down near Moscow.
Following the early morning attack on Friday, Kursk regional Governor Roman Starovoit stated that emergency services were assessing the damage in Kurchatov town. Governor Starovoit assured the public that there were no casualties resulting from the attack.
Initially, it was reported that two buildings were damaged by two drones. However, the governor later clarified that only one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was involved in the raid on Kurchatov town. The town is located just a few kilometers from the Kursk nuclear power station, one of Russia’s largest.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defenses successfully shot down a drone approaching the capital city. The downed drone was near Lyubertsy, situated approximately 20km (12 miles) southeast of central Moscow. No further information regarding the incident was provided.
Due to reports of an unidentified object flying in the capital’s airspace, Moscow’s three main airports, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo, had to cancel and reschedule flights early on Friday morning, according to a local online news report. However, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency announced that Vnukovo airport resumed operations following the lifting of restrictions linked to the attempted drone attack.
Moscow Mayor Sobyanin expressed his desire to strengthen the city’s air defenses, citing near-daily drone attacks on the Russian capital. He reported that new air defense systems have been erected recently to counter the threat.
However, independent observers have raised doubts about Russia’s claims that many of the suspected Ukrainian drones are successfully detected and shot down by Moscow’s air defense. These observers question the accuracy of official reports.
In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed on Thursday night that Ukrainian forces have developed a new weapon with a target range of approximately 700km (435 miles). President Zelenskyy did not provide further details about the weapon but mentioned ongoing efforts to increase its range.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been escalating, with drone attacks being a recurring issue. The situation remains precarious as both sides continue to take countermeasures to protect their territories and assets.