The Russian war against Ukraine has come to Moscow Tuesday as dozens of attack drones attacked the city.
Drones struck the Russian capital in what one politician called the worst attack on the capital since World War II. It came as the Ukrainian capitol of Kyiv was attacked by Russian missiles and drones for air for the 10 time in the last five days.
Moscovites, and most Russians, have felt distanced from their government’s attack on their neighboring European nation over the last 15 months. Relatively few attacks on Russian territory have occurred as Ukraine responds to the massive invasion. Now, the war may seem more real as explosions were heard across Moscow.
Moscow drone attack: ‘The windows of my home shook’ https://t.co/58m1HvwAVS
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 30, 2023
Ukraine has so far denied it was responsible for the attacks which may be true. In recent weeks, disaffected Russians, tired of the war and the cost, have begun waging what the Putin regime calls “terrorist” attacks, including the apparent small independent military invasion of small cities near the Ukrainian border.
According to our data, the morning attack by Chinese drones on Moscow and the Moscow region involved exclusively Russians who are fighting against Putin’s regime and are constantly on the territory of Russia. They were the ones who controlled the drones that were brought to the… pic.twitter.com/9XqqJ7AK0C
— Feher_Junior (@Feher_Junior) May 30, 2023
But for residents in Moscow, life continues as normal, until now. Politician Maxim Ivanov termed it the most serious assault on Moscow since the Nazis, saying no citizen could now avoid “the new reality”.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two people were injured, but not seriously, while some residents in two lightly damaged apartment blocks were briefly evacuated.
Russia’s defense ministry said eight drones sent by Kyiv were shot down or diverted, though Baza, a Telegram channel with links to the security services, said more than 25 were involved.
Residents in southwestern Moscow said they heard loud bangs followed by the smell of fuel at about 5am to 6am local time. Some filmed a drone being shot down and a plume of smoke rising over the Moscow skyline.
“You will either defeat the enemy as a single fist with our Motherland, or the indelible shame of cowardice, collaboration and betrayal will engulf your family,” Ivanov said.
Two weeks ago, two drones exploded over the Kremlin in an attack Russia also blamed on Kyiv and said was aimed at Putin.
Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak denied Kyiv was directly involved in targeting Moscow on Tuesday, though he said “we are pleased to watch” and forecast more to come.
Russia’s defense ministry cast the assault as a “terrorist drone attack” launched by the “Kyiv regime”.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian defense forces said they shot down more than 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones on Tuesday.
–Wire services