Kyiv, Jul 24 (EFE).- Ukraine on Monday confirmed overnight drone attacks on Moscow and the Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014.
“Last night, drones attacked the orc (Russian) capital and Crimea,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister for digital transformation, said on Telegram.
“Electronic warfare and air defense are less and less able to protect the occupiers’ skies. Whatever happens, there will be more of it,” Fedorov, whose ministry is in charge of a program to supply drones to the Ukrainian military, added.
The Ukrainian minister is leading an initiative to develop and acquire long-range drones for Kyiv’s army. The initiative brings together the state and the private sector to fund the program.
Efe was able to verify on Monday that the two Moscow drones fell near a military university in an area of the capital where several buildings of Russia’s defense ministry are located.
One device fell next to 17 Komsomolsky Avenue and shattered the glass in at least two stores, one of which sold Crimean wines, Efe was able to verify.
Traffic on Komsomolsky was suspended after the drone crash but has since resumed.
According to Bellingcat researcher Christo Grozev, several buildings belonging to Russia’s foreign intelligence agency, the GRU, are located at the site of the drone attack.
The second drone landed on Likhachev Avenue in a business center that is under construction and blew out the glass on the 17th and 18th floors over an area of 50 square meters.
“Drone strikes on two non-residential buildings were recorded at around four o’clock this morning. No serious damage or casualties. All operational services are working on the spot,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it had thwarted “a terrorist attack” on Moscow.
The defense ministry told reporters that “electronic warfare systems jammed two Ukrainian drones, causing them to crash,” and that no one was hurt, Tass news agency reported.
The last attempted attack on Moscow took place on July 4, when the Kremlin claimed to have foiled a terrorist attack amid five drones launched by Ukraine against New Moscow, an administrative district of the Russian capital, and the Moscow region.
Russia reported on June 21 the downing of three drones that were heading to facilities in the Moscow region.
In May, two drones targeted Russia’s Senate Palace, part of the Kremlin complex in Red Square, and caused “minor damage” to several residential buildings and the dome of the
Kyiv’s strikes on Crimea and Moscow, come after Russia conducted regular attacks on Ukraine’s ports last week just days after President Vladimir Putin exited the so-called Black Sea grain Initiative, which faciliated the passage of Ukrainian grain exports to global food markets.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to retaliate to Russia’s Sunday attacks on Odesa which he called an act of Russian terrorism. EFE
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