Drone Attack on Russian Capital Moscow... Increasing Frequency of Drone Strikes

Drone Airstrike on Two Buildings Around 4 AM
Capital Damage Expands Amid Prolonged War

Buildings in downtown Moscow, the capital of Russia, have reportedly been hit again by a drone attack. Since the drone attack targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in May, the frequency of such airstrikes has gradually increased. As the war in Ukraine drags on, the rising number of attacks targeting Moscow has also raised concerns about civilian casualties.

On the 24th (local time), a building in Moscow, Russia, suffered partial damage to its exterior wall due to a drone airstrike. Moscow=TASS·Yonhap News

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 24th (local time), around 4 a.m. that day, two non-residential buildings near the Moscow Ministry of Defense were attacked by drones, causing parts of the exterior walls to collapse. Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, stated via his Telegram account, "There are no serious damages or injuries."

Fragments of the drones were found about 2 km away from the Moscow Ministry of Defense building. While the exact extent of the damage from this incident is still unknown, the Komsomolsky Road, which connects the center of Moscow to the outskirts, has reportedly been closed.

The Russian government fiercely condemned the drone attack, attributing it to Ukraine. In a media briefing that day, the Russian Ministry of Defense said, "The Kyiv regime (Ukraine) attempted a terrorist attack on Moscow but was thwarted," adding, "Our electronic warfare systems disrupted and shot down two Ukrainian drones." The Ukrainian government has not commented on Russia's claims.

As the war in Ukraine prolongs, drone attacks targeting Moscow have gradually increased. On May 2, two drones exploded over the Kremlin, prompting a strong backlash from the Russian government, which claimed it was a terrorist attempt targeting President Putin. On the 30th of the same month, there was a large-scale drone attack on a residential area in Moscow, and on the 4th, drones flew near Moscow, causing the suspension of takeoffs and landings at an international airport.

While Russian forces continue airstrikes on major cities in Ukraine, it is interpreted that Ukrainian forces have begun actively disrupting Russian rear areas to carry out counteroffensive operations on the front lines.

Earlier, on the previous day, an ammunition depot in the Crimean Peninsula was reportedly hit by a drone attack and exploded. Sergey Aksyonov, head of the Crimean Autonomous Republic, stated via his Telegram account, "An explosion occurred at an ammunition depot in the Krasnovardiske area of the Crimean Peninsula, leading to the evacuation of residents within a 5 km radius and the suspension of railway traffic within Crimea."