Russian officials reported on Tuesday that at least 15 drones were shot down around Moscow overnight in a series of attacks that caused fires in residential buildings, resulted in the death of a nine-year-old child, and led to the suspension of more than 30 flights.
The attacks, which come amid increasing drone strikes by Ukraine on Russian infrastructure, were part of a broader assault on multiple regions of Russia.
In addition to the incidents in Moscow, over 60 drones were downed in the southwestern Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, and in the Lipetsk region in southern Russia. Regional governors confirmed there were no reports of damage or casualties in those areas.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated on Telegram that emergency teams were dispatched to various sites across the Moscow region, including near the Zhukovo airport and the Domodedovo district, home to one of the capital’s largest airports. Zhukovo was closed to air traffic as over 30 domestic and international flights were disrupted in the wake of the attacks.
The Ramenskoye district, located 50 kilometers southeast of the Kremlin and home to about 250,000 people, saw significant damage. High-rise apartment buildings were hit by drones, setting multiple flats on fire. Moscow governor Andrei Vorobyov confirmed that a nine-year-old child was among the casualties.
Russia's SHOT and Baza Telegram channels, known for their ties to security services, shared videos showing flames engulfing a multi-storey building, where five flats were reportedly destroyed.
In the neighbouring Tula region, authorities reported that drone wreckage had fallen onto a fuel and energy facility. However, they assured that the facility's "technological process" remained unaffected.
The attacks highlight Ukraine's increasing use of drones to target the Russian military, energy, and transport infrastructure as its domestic drone industry rapidly expands.
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