MOSCOW: Moscow has said that it shot down as many as 20 Ukrainian drones near the Crimean Peninsula, Western media reported on Saturday.
Russia Downs Twenty Ukrainian Drones Near Crimea: Officials
In a statement via Telegram, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that 14 drones were destroyed by air defense systems and 6 were repressed by electronic warfare. It added that no damage was reported after the fresh development.
Earlier, in an escalating series of aerial incidents, Russia announced on Friday that it successfully intercepted and destroyed a Ukrainian drone over the western outskirts of Moscow. This incident marks the latest attempt at what Russia claims is a thwarted act of terrorism against the capital.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Ukrainian drone was intended to carry out a terrorist attack on a facility within Moscow. Thankfully, the attack was foiled, resulting in no casualties or damage. The ongoing series of drone attacks has intensified concerns among residents and authorities alike.
The capital city, which was initially relatively untouched by the conflict, has experienced a surge in such incidents over recent months, prompting increased security measures and public apprehension.
“Drones are flying yet again above Moscow,” commented Artemy Dulisov, a 21-year-old technology student who ventured to the area where the drone debris had fallen. “They keep us in fear a bit.”
Parts of a park located in the Karamyshevskaya embankment on the western side of Moscow were cordoned off by the police following the incident. The Vnukovo international airport briefly implemented restrictions in response to the situation, though these restrictions were lifted within an hour, according to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
This recent occurrence follows a pattern of Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow over the past week. Just the day before, Russia claimed to have downed two drones approaching Moscow, and similarly, two other drones were destroyed on an earlier occasion. The trend has been punctuated by a drone strike targeting an office block in Moscow’s main business district, Moscow City, earlier this month. Debris from the downed drone struck the building twice within a matter of days.
Amidst growing concerns, Alexei Benedesyuk, a 54-year-old driver residing in the vicinity, voiced his apprehensions, stating, “It’s already happened: Moscow City, and the Kremlin… It will still happen and I think more than once.”
