Conflicts & War

Ukraine targeted civilians in rare Moscow drone attack, Putin says

(Update 2: adds Putin remarks, edits headline, lede)

Moscow, May 30 (EFE).- Several drones struck Moscow on Tuesday, causing minor damage to some buildings in the Russian capital, officials said.

The Russian defense ministry blamed Ukraine for the attack, saying eight pilotless aerial vehicles flew over the capital before being shot down.

“The Kiev regime plotted to carry out a terrorist attack in Moscow,” the defense ministry said.

This was an attack against civilian targets in Moscow,” president Vladimir Putin said in remarks to state television.

Putin said Kyiv had launched the attack in response to Russian shelling of military targets in Ukraine and revealed that “two or three days ago” Moscow attacked the General Staff of the Ukrainian military intelligence.

“In response, the Kiev regime chose another way, that of attempts to intimidate Russia, intimidate Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings. This is, of course, a clear sign of terrorist activity,” he added.

City mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a drone attack “caused minor damage to several buildings” in the early hours of Tuesday, adding that no one was seriously injured.

Sobyanin said residents were evacuated from the two drone-hit buildings for safety reasons.

“Immediately after the end of the work of special services, residents will be able to return to their apartments,” said the mayor.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) said all airports in Moscow and the capital region operated normally after the drone attack.

“No drones were detected in the airport area. Departures and arrivals are taking place according to schedule,” said the civil aviation agency’s press office.

The incident comes almost a month after Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin on May 3. There were no casualties in that attack.

Ukraine presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak rejected the allegations, saying the country “wages an exclusively defensive war and does not attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.” EFE

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