A Ukrainian drone struck an upmarket residential high-rise in Moscow early Monday. The attack caused visible damage to the building's exterior. This is the third night in a row that Moscow has faced drone attacks. These incidents happen just days before Russia's annual Victory Day parade on May 9.
An unverified video showed emergency workers inside a damaged apartment. Dust and rubble covered the floor. Windows were blown out. Another video showed drone debris on the street below. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that two other drones were intercepted. Operations at Vnukovo and Domodedovo international airports briefly stopped overnight.
The Russian defence ministry reported intercepting 117 drones across several regions. This spanned from Sunday into Monday. The governor of St. Petersburg, Aleksandr Drodzhenko, called the attack on his region "massive". He said 60 drones targeted it. The damaged residential building is in a wealthy area of southwest Moscow. It is less than 10 kilometers from the Kremlin and Red Square. This is where the Victory Day parade will take place.
Ukrainian drones have targeted Moscow multiple times since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Drone alerts often cause airport shutdowns and disrupt air traffic. However, successful strikes this close to the city center are rare. Moscow's air defenses include the Pantsir-S system. The Kremlin announced a scaled-back Victory Day parade last week. They cited a "terrorist threat" from Ukraine. This shows nervousness about the celebrations. For the first time since 2008, the parade will not feature armored vehicles. Mobile internet access in Moscow will be limited for much of the week for "security reasons".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attacks. He said the Kremlin feared drones over Red Square. He stated, "This is telling... We need to keep up the pressure." Ukraine has developed long-range drones. These can hit targets hundreds of miles from its borders. These drones regularly target energy infrastructure and oil refineries in Russia. This aims to hurt Russia's oil production and revenue. President Zelensky also reported successful Ukrainian attacks on Sunday. These strikes hit three Russian oil tankers and two warships near Russian ports. The tankers were part of Russia's "shadow fleet". This fleet is used to bypass Western sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion.
Meanwhile, Russia continues its daily aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian authorities reported that four people died. Eighteen others were injured in a missile strike near Kharkiv. This is close to the Russian border. The ongoing conflict highlights significant geopolitical tensions. Such attacks directly impact civilian infrastructure and safety on both sides.