Moscow Targeted in Tuesday Drone Strike – At least eight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) hit the Russian capital of Moscow on Tuesday morning.
The drones reportedly struck several buildings, including residential blocks within the city.
Russian authorities quickly cast blame on Ukraine for the first attacks on civilian areas within the country, labeling it a “terrorist attack,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
The attacks caused damage to some buildings within Russia’s largest city and forced some residents to evacuate their homes.
In addition, the Kremlin claimed that all eight of the drones were destroyed.
Though one individual was hospitalized, there were no deaths reported. Independent media reports suggested the number of drones employed in the strike could have been much higher.
Was it Ukraine?
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told reporters on Tuesday that his country “has nothing directly to do” with the drone strike.
However, he added that he was “pleased to observe and predict an increase in the number of attacks.”
The strike on Moscow came just days after anti-Putin militia forces conducted a raid within Russia that briefly occupied a number of villages near the Graivoron border crossing checkpoint.
Just a month ago, a pair of drones targeted the Kremlin in what was described as an assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin. Moscow had blamed Kyiv for the alleged attempt, but Ukrainian officials have denied responsibility.
Though Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to issue a special address, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov attempted to ease fears on Tuesday.
“It is quite clear that we are talking here about the Kyiv regime’s response to our very effective strikes on one of the decision-making centers on Sunday,” Peskov said, referencing Russia’s recent attack on the Ukrainian capital – the largest since the start of the war.
Cities on Fire
The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was also hit on Tuesday by another Russian aerial attack, the 17th since just the beginning of May.
Officials reported strikes on several districts within the city, which left one person killed and at least seven more injured.
Russia had launched “several waves” of attacks that included a combination of drones and missiles. That followed a rare daytime attack on Monday that marked an intensifying assault on Ukraine’s largest city, NBC News also reported.
Prigozhin’s Response
The incident also served to fuel the fire in the ongoing rift between Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Kremlin. The mercenary group chief quickly blamed his country’s military leaders for allowing the drone attacks to occur.
He released an expletive-ridden audio statement to his Telegram social channels, where Prigozhin scorned Moscow’s defense ministry. It was his most recent public rebuke aimed at a ruling elite, while it was just last week that he warned that the Kremlin risks losing the war and even leading Russia toward a revolution or civil war.
“The fact that they are flying to Rublyovka to your home, to hell with it! Let your houses burn,” Prigozhin ranted, referring to an upscale area of Moscow popular with Russian oligarchs. “And what do ordinary people do when drones with explosives crash into their windows?
It would seem that this war isn’t just limited to the battlefield, and the Russian people are now beginning to experience what those in Ukraine have had to endure for more than a year.
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Author Experience and Expertise:
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
