MOSCOW was blasted by a wave of kamikaze drone strikes today in a rare attack on the Russian capital.
The attacks are believed to be the work of Kyiv’s forces after Ukraine vowed to respond to a barrage of unprecedented missile attacks in recent days.
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Drones were seen flying over Rublyovka – home to many of Putin’s closest allies and not far from his official residence in Moscow.
Wealthy neighbourhoods in the Russian capital were also targeted in the early morning attack.
The drone strikes sparked explosions in several buildings – including a block of flats.
Footage appeared to show drones flying overhead before being shot down.
Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said: “This morning, at dawn, a drone attack caused minor damage to several buildings.
“All the city’s emergency services are on the scene… no one has been seriously injured so far.”
Russia’s Defence Ministry blasted Kyiv for the “terrorist attack” on the city.
“The Kyiv regime launched a terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on facilities in the city of Moscow,” it said.
“Eight aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were involved in the attack. All enemy drones were hit.”
According to local reports, drones were shot down over the Istra, Krasnogorsk and Odintsovo districts.
Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed a number of drones were shot down by air defences as they approached Moscow.
The attacks come after the Ukraine’s military intelligence chief vowed to respond swiftly to the drone and missile attacks on Kyiv in recent days.
Kyrylo Budanov said: “All those who tried to intimidate us, dreaming that this would have some effect, you will regret it very soon.
“Our answer will not be long in coming. Soon everyone will see everything.”
Ukraine has not commented on Tuesday’s drone strikes on Moscow.
It was not immediately clear whether the drones had been launched from within Russia.
Reports suggested the attacks could have come from Kaluga region.
But it marks the second attack on Moscow after two drones hit the Kremlin earlier this month in what was branded an assassination attempt on Putin.
It comes after Russia launched a pre-dawn attack on Kyiv on Tuesday, killing at least one person and sending residents scrambling into shelters.
At least 20 drones were destroyed by air defence forces in Kyiv after Russia’s third attack on the capital in the past 24 hours, according to the Kyiv Military Administration.
The buzzing of drones could be heard over the city – followed by loud explosions as they were shot down.
One person died and three were injured when a high-rise building in the Holosiiv district caught fire.
Kyiv said Tuesday’s attack involved only Iranian-made Shahed drones and no missiles.
Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said: “The attack was massive, came from different directions, in several waves.”
The wave of attacks – which started on Sunday – included a rare daytime attack on Monday.
Russian forces fired 11 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv, according to Ukraine chief of staff, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
“All of them were shot down,” he said.
Debris from the missiles fell in Kyiv’s central and northern districts, landing in the middle of traffic on a busy city road.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it had launched a series of strikes early on Monday targeting Ukrainian air bases with precision long-range air-launched missiles.
Russia has repeatedly bombarded the Ukrainian capital this month – mostly at night – using drones and missiles.
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Imogen Braddick
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