The Russian Federation announced one of the largest UAV attacks on Moscow facilities

21 August, 2024 Ukrainian "Lyutyi" attack drone in the sky over the Russian Federation, March 2024 Drones attempted to attack targets in Moscow and other regions of Russia on the night of August 21. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that the air defense forces allegedly shot down ten drones flying toward Moscow overnight.

In the first reports, Sobyanin said that air defense forces had repelled drone attacks in the Podolsky district in the Moscow region. "This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow with drones ever," Sobyanin added. Russian Telegram channels published several videos allegedly capturing drone strikes over the Moscow region.

During the drone raid, Moscow's Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports imposed temporary flight safety restrictions, and eight aircraft were sent to alternate airfields.

Overnight attacks

Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Bryansk region, also reported a "massive" drone attack. According to him, 23 unmanned aerial vehicles have allegedly been intercepted since yesterday evening and overnight.

Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, said that at night, air defense forces shot down three drones on the border with the Bryansk region. According to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region's governor, the Belgorod region was also hit. Around 2 a.m., he wrote that the Russian air defense system had allegedly shot down several air targets.

Aleksey Smirnov, head of the Kursk region, wrote that overnight, air defense forces allegedly shot down two Ukrainian missiles and two drones over the region. He did not mention the consequences of the attack. The Oryol region was also attacked by drones, according to Governor Andrey Klychkov.

According to him, one drone was allegedly shot down over the region's territory. In the Rostov region, the local governor reported a missile attack. On August 21, a massive fire broke out near the city of Novoshakhtinsk in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation.

Before that, the air defense system was activated in the region. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian air defense forces allegedly destroyed 45 Ukrainian drones overnight: 11 over the Moscow region, 23 over the Bryansk region, six over the Belgorod region, three over the Kaluga region, and two over the Kursk region.

However, the ministry did not comment on the attacks on the Oryol and Rostov regions.

The Defense Ministry also did not disclose information about the targets that the attack drones managed to hit.

Last year, it was reported that Russians were building air defense sites and towers in the suburbs of Moscow.