Swarm of Ukrainian kamikaze drones intercepted near Moscow – officials
Russian air defenses have detected and neutralized 21 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Moscow region, with at least five of them intercepted on their way to the Russian capital, according to local officials.
Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov announced in a post on his Telegram channel on Tuesday evening that the drones were downed in seven municipalities – Ruzsky, Volokolamsky, Odintsovo, Mozhaysky, Narofominsky, Istra and Chekhov – saying air defenses were engaging additional targets.
One man, aged 57, was injured when a drone crashed and exploded in the village of Pagubino in the Volokolamsky district. The man sustained shrapnel wounds to his back and arm and was hospitalized with injuries assessed to be of moderate severity. Medical personnel provided assistance at the scene before transporting the injured man to a trauma center.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported the destruction of five drones flying towards Moscow. Flights were temporarily suspended at Vnukovo airport as a precaution.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement that air defense systems destroyed at least 24 more Ukrainian drones between 8pm and 11pm Moscow time. Of these, 14 were shot down over Kaluga Region, 5 over Crimea, three over Belgorod, and one over Tula and Kursk each.
Ukraine has routinely launched drone raids deep into Russia in recent months, targeting critical infrastructure and residential buildings in what Moscow has described as desperate “terrorist attacks.”
This drone raid follows an attempted attack on President Vladimir Putin’s state residence in the Novgorod Region on December 28-29, which Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov characterized as an act of “state terrorism.”
Moscow has promised a “non-diplomatic” response to the attack. Russia previously conducted strikes on military-related Ukrainian infrastructure, saying it aims to degrade Kiev’s drone and weapons production capabilities.
