Moscow was attacked by drones on Tuesday morning, in what the Russian defense ministry called a “terrorist attack” by Ukraine. The incident caused minor damage to several buildings and forced residents to evacuate homes, local officials said.
The defense ministry said in a statement that eight “aircraft-type” unmanned aerial vehicles were involved in the attack on Moscow. All drones were destroyed, it added. Three were jammed and lost control, and the other five were shot down by the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile system in the Moscow region.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that drone attacks had “caused minor damage to several buildings.” He said two people “sought medical attention” and there were no serious injuries. He added that “for safety reasons” some residents were evacuated from some parts of the two affected buildings while emergency services were working on the scene.
Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, said that “several drones” were shot down on approach to Moscow. He said residents of some areas of the wider region could hear sounds of explosions Tuesday morning that he said were air defense systems working. “I ask people to remain calm,” he added.
Russian authorities said an investigation had been launched into the drone attacks. State news agency Tass reported that all airports in Moscow and the wider region were operating normally. The agency also reported that a woman received a “light shrapnel wound” after her residential building in southwest Moscow was hit by a drone.
The attack comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine over the war in eastern Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in late April and has since launched several missile strikes on Kyiv, killing dozens of civilians. Ukraine has denied any involvement in the drone attacks on Moscow and accused Russia of spreading propaganda.