Russia Claims Downed Drones near Moscow in Suspected Ukrainian Attack

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Russian authorities announced on Wednesday that two drones were intercepted and brought down as they approached a local military unit’s warehouses outside Moscow. This incident is believed to be the latest in Ukraine’s series of attempts to strike targets within Russia during the initial stages of their recent counteroffensive.

Simultaneously, Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged that Ukrainian forces were regrouping after an unsuccessful counteroffensive and may be preparing for new attacks on Russian positions.

According to Russian media reports, the two drones crashed near the village of Lukino, which is part of Moscow administratively. The wreckage of a third drone was discovered about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away. No casualties or damage were reported.

Russia’s Defense Ministry described the incident as an “unsuccessful attempt at a terrorist attack” by the “Kyiv regime” on their Moscow region facilities. The ministry stated that all three drones were brought down using electronic jamming techniques.

The Ukrainian government, which typically refrains from confirming attacks on Russian soil, did not immediately comment on the incident. Previously, Ukrainian officials have stressed their right to retaliate against any target in response to Russia’s invasion and the ongoing war that started in February 2022.

Last month, two drone attacks shook the Russian capital, marking what seemed to be Kyiv’s most audacious and deepest strikes into Russia. The first attack on May 3 targeted the Kremlin itself, but Russian authorities announced that the devices were shot down before causing any damage. The second attack on May 30 reached Moscow but resulted in minimal damage.

Following the attack on the Kremlin, Putin acknowledged that Moscow’s air defense “functioned satisfactorily” but acknowledged the need to address system vulnerabilities.

Numerous drones have reportedly entered deep into Russia on multiple occasions. Since February, when a UJ-22 crashed 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Moscow, Ukrainian drones have frequently approached the Russian capital.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, confirmed the drone attack on Wednesday, simply stating that “the means of countering drones did their job.”

Meanwhile, train services were briefly disrupted on the Crimean Peninsula, as reported by Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor. Aksyonov did not provide the cause of the disruption, but some Russian media outlets speculated that the railway lines were sabotaged overnight. However, a few hours later, authorities announced that service had been restored. The rail lines in Crimea are critical for supplying Russian forces stationed in southern and eastern Ukraine.

In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, a move deemed illegal by most of the international community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his country’s intention to reclaim the peninsula in a recent counteroffensive.

In response to Ukraine’s military threat, supported by advanced weaponry from Western allies, Russia has devoted significant effort to constructing elaborate defensive lines near Crimea’s approaches, as reported by the UK Defense Ministry.

Control over Crimea remains a top political priority for the Kremlin, according to the ministry. Intense fighting continues in parts of southern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces are testing Russian defenses.

Putin claimed that there had been a recent lull in the fighting, suggesting that Ukrainian forces were regrouping after suffering heavy losses. However, he warned in an interview with Russian state television that their offensive capability had not been exhausted, emphasizing that they possessed reserves and were considering how to employ them.

As analysts cautioned that the war could endure for years, Putin revealed plans to deploy more Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles on Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles. He also mentioned that the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, codenamed “Satan” by NATO allies, would soon be put into service. Additionally, the Russian military intends to increase its drone capabilities, as Putin informed military academy graduates.

On the same day, European Union countries reached an agreement on a new set of sanctions against Russia over the ongoing war. These measures aim to prevent third countries and businesses from bypassing existing sanctions. For instance, they include restrictions on exporting sensitive technological goods to third countries that may transfer them to Russia.

Furthermore, Ukraine’s allies pledged several billion dollars in non-military aid to reconstruct war-damaged infrastructure, combat corruption, and support the country’s path toward European Union membership. Diplomats and political leaders at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London called on private-sector companies to invest and revive an economy severely affected by the war.

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