Ukraine Strikes Russia with Drones near Kremlin, Escalating Border Conflicts
Ukraine carried out a series of drone strikes on Russia, causing damage to office buildings near the Kremlin and a pig breeding complex along the shared border. These attacks, although unacknowledged by Ukraine, are part of a growing trend of cross-border strikes in response to Russian aggression. Since June, Ukraine has been engaged in a counter-offensive against Russian forces, leading to more frequent and deeper strikes into Russian territory.
The most significant of these strikes occurred in May when a drone targeted the Kremlin itself, the seat of power in Moscow. Sunday’s attack marked the fourth strike on the capital region this month and the third within the past week. These repeated strikes highlight Moscow’s vulnerability as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine enters its 18th month.
The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the attacks as an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime. Three drones targeted Moscow, with one being shot down and two crashing into the Moscow City business district after being jammed. Images and videos captured the moment a drone tore off part of a skyscraper’s facade, causing sparks, flames, and smoke to engulf the building. A security guard sustained injuries, and several government agencies housed in the building were affected. Flights at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport were temporarily suspended, and airspace over Moscow and surrounding regions was closed as a precautionary measure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the attempted attacks while he was in St. Petersburg for meetings with African leaders and a naval celebration. Ukrainian officials did not acknowledge responsibility for the attacks, but President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in his nightly video address that the war was gradually returning to Russia’s symbolic centers and military bases. He emphasized that this was a natural and fair process given the ongoing conflict.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force did not claim responsibility for the strikes but highlighted that the Russian people were witnessing the consequences of the war Russia initiated in Ukraine. The spokesperson stated that the Russian interior was no longer discussing peace or calm, as the conflict was directly impacting them.
The drone attack on Moscow was accompanied by another assault on Crimea, Ukrainian territory that Russia occupied and annexed in 2014. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that they had shot down 16 Ukrainian drones and neutralized eight others through electronic jamming, with no reported casualties.
President Zelensky remains determined to regain all the land occupied by Russian forces, including Crimea. Ukraine’s efforts have been bolstered by the acquisition and deployment of advanced Western weapons. Russia, on the other hand, has accused Ukrainian forces of attacking border areas. The governor of the Bryansk region claimed that Ukraine damaged a pig breeding complex and injured three people through a strike.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported destroying four Russian drones in the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Due to the ongoing conflict, independent verification of the attacks was not possible.
In a retaliatory move, a Russian missile strike in northeast Ukraine’s Sumy city resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injured 20. The blast targeted a four-storey vocational college building, causing damage to accommodation and teaching facilities.
