Moscow buildings hit by Ukrainian drone attack as Russia dismisses "act of desperation"
Moscow, Russia - A nighttime attack on Moscow by three Ukrainian drones injured one person, damaged buildings and forced the temporary closure of an airport, Russian officials said on Sunday.
Two drones were brought down over the Moscow business district by electronic jamming while another was shot down over the greater Moscow region by anti-aircraft fire, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Photos showed severe damage to a building, with broken glass littering the street below.
Several ministries are located in the district, while a major skyscraper project is still under development.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin spoke of "insignificant damage" to the facades of two office buildings.
The Defense Ministry held the "Kyiv regime" responsible.
State-run news agency TASS reported that a security guard had been injured.
Moscow's Vnukovo airport to the south-west of the Russian capital was temporarily closed for departures and arrivals. Flights had to be diverted, while operations continued at other airports in the region.
Kremlin dismisses "terrorist attack" amid Ukrainian counteroffensive
The Kremlin dismissed what it called a "terrorist attack" as an "act of desperation" by Ukraine, which is currently waging a major counterattack to push out invading Russian troops.
"It is obvious that the counteroffensive is not a success," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that it was "very difficult" for Ukrainian forces on the front.
Moscow has been the target of several drone attacks in recent months. Kyiv does not usually claim responsibility.
For 17 months the Russian military has bombarded Ukraine with drones, rockets, and cruise missiles, causing massive death and damage in the Ukrainian capital and in other Ukrainian cities.
The war continued unabated in the south and east of Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said Russian air defenses downed 25 Ukrainian drones over the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, where many Russians are currently vacationing.
On Saturday, Russian missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia and Sumy killed four people, according to Ukrainian officials.
Cover photo: REUTERS