A drone attack atVnukovo International Airport in Moscow disrupted flights and was attributed to Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The incident occurred this Tuesday (July 4, 2023) and is also believed to have targeted other locations in the Russian capital region.
According to the Ministry of Defense, five drones were used in this attack, but all were shot down and no damage or casualties were reported. Ukraine has not yet claimed responsibility for the alleged attack.
Restrictions at Vnukovo Airport, one of Moscow's three international airports, have now been lifted. Flights from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were among the worst affected.
According to the Defense Ministry, four of the drones flying in the Moscow region were shot down by air defense systems. The fifth drone was electronically intercepted before crashing.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the attack a “new terrorist act” and said on Telegram: “This is an attempt by the kyiv regime to attack an area where civilian infrastructure is located, including an airport hosting international flights.”
Russian state media reported that one of the drones crashed in the town of Kubinka, about 36 km (22 miles) from Vnukovo airport in the city's southwest. Another was reportedly shot dead near the village of Valuevo, also near the airport.
It should be noted that this drone attack is not the first to target Moscow. In May, the Russian Defense Ministry said at least eight drones had caused minor damage. It was the first time the Russian capital was the target of multiple drones since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and it follows Moscow's accusation that kyiv carried out a drone attack on the Kremlin.
This drone attack comes after the launch of the Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russia. However, progress so far has not been as rapid and dynamic as some had hoped, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously acknowledged that progress was slow. Separately, the death toll from the Russian drone attack on the town of Sumy, in northern Ukraine, on Monday rose to three deaths, according to the local mayor. Several other people were injured.
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