Russia claims to have thwarted a Ukrainian terrorist attack by five drones on Moscow

The Russian Ministry of Defense assured on Tuesday thwarting a terrorist attack with five drones launched by Ukraine against New Moscow – the administrative district of the Russian capital – and the Moscow region.

“An attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack with five drones on facilities in the Moscow region and New Moscow was foiled this morning,” military spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

He explained that four drones were destroyed in the area of ​​New Moscow by anti-aircraft defense systems. The fifth drone was intercepted by electronic warfare and shot down in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. The department headed by Sergej Shoigu made sure of that there were no victims or material damage.

In its statement, the Ministry of Defense did not mention the downing of another drone in the Kaluga region, southwest of the Russian capital, as the Russian emergency services had previously informed the official agency. TASS.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed the attempted attack on his Telegram channel and explained that it was for security reasons some flights had to be temporarily diverted from the airport of the capital Vnukovo to other airports.

The spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, María Zajárova, condemned in the same messaging app that the drone attack took place in areas where there is civilian infrastructure, including the Vnúkovo airport, which also operates international flights.

“The international community must understand that the United States, Great Britain and France, permanent members of the UN Security Council, are financing the terrorist regime,” he said.

Zelenski calls for increased anti-aircraft defense

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again called for increased air defenses on Monday to ensure the protection of all Ukrainian territory, after a Russian drone strike hit residential buildings and the headquarters of Ukraine’s intelligence service in the northeastern city of Sumy.

“Unfortunately, our country does not yet have sufficiently high-quality anti-aircraft defense systems to protect our entire territory and shoot down all enemy targets,” Zelenski said, referring to the attack on Suma, which claimed the lives of at least 3 people. The president added that “the enemy is taking advantage” and promised to “do everything possible and impossible.” to strengthen the anti-aircraft defense system.

Although the Ukrainian air force is capable of shooting down almost all drones and missiles fired by Russia at Kiev, where Ukraine has concentrated the best defense systems received from the West, many missiles fired by Russian forces at other areas cannot be intercepted.

“The goal is that the Ukrainian air shield can protect our entire territory from Russian terror and that in the future to become the basis of the European air shield», Zelenski emphasized about his efforts to force his partners to send more modern protection systems to Ukraine.

According to the head of the Sumi military administration, Dmitr Zhevitsky, anti-aircraft alarms announcing the possibility of an attack did not sound when the Shahed drones that caused Monday’s tragedy flew towards the city. “This tragedy could and should have been avoided,” complained Zhevitsky.