The Russian Air Force shot down eleven drones aimed at Moscow during the night. They were rendered harmless over the capital region, the Defense Ministry announced on Telegram. A total of 45 aircraft launched from Ukraine were destroyed. Some of them landed in the Podolsk district, which is just a few dozen kilometers south of Moscow’s city limits, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Sobyanin spoke of one of the largest drone attacks on Moscow ever. During the night, there were temporary restrictions on the operation of three of the city’s airports. As the air traffic control announced on Telegram, the restrictions applied for four hours until 6:30 a.m. (local time) for the airports of Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky. Operations at the main airport, Sheremetyevo, were not restricted.
Meanwhile, according to the ministry, 23 and six drones were shot down over the border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod, respectively, and three over the Kaluga region. Two were shot down over the Kursk region, which Ukrainian troops have invaded. The Russian authorities usually only report the number of flying objects they were able to neutralize, and remain tight-lipped about damage to military facilities. Meanwhile, a rocket was shot down in the southern Russian region of Rostov. According to initial findings, there were no casualties or destruction in any of the cases.
Ukraine has been subjected to nightly air strikes targeting, among other things, important energy infrastructure since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Explosions were also reported on the night of Wednesday from the western Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi, among others.
2024-08-21 06:46:13