Russian air defenses repelling Ukrainian drone raid on Moscow – mayor

At least five UAVs have been intercepted near the Russian capital overnight

Russian air defenses were activated to thwart a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow, according to the city’s mayor, Sergey Sobyanin. He reported no casualties or damage on the ground.

Sobyanin reported the destruction of the first UAV near Podolsk, approximately 40 km south of Moscow, at around 1:20am on Sunday. About an hour later, he stated that another drone had been shot down en route to the capital.

In a series of follow-up posts over four hours, Sobyanin indicated that three more drones were intercepted over the Stupino, Odintsovo, and Leninsky districts, bringing the total to at least five.

As of 5am local time, Russian air defenses were still engaging hostile targets, Sobyanin added. According to preliminary information, falling debris did not cause casualties or significant damage on the ground, and emergency services were working at the site.

Ukraine has periodically attempted to target the Russian capital – located more than 500 kilometers from the front line – with drone raids. Most UAVs have been neutralized before reaching their targets. On August 21, eleven UAVs were downed in the vicinity of the Russian capital in “one of the largest” Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow.