Moscow’s Airspace: The New Drone Battlefield

In recent events surrounding the tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that two Ukrainian drones ‘found’ themselves in Russian airspace and were swiftly brought down over the Moscow region.

Residents of Krasnogorsk, a town in Moscow’s vicinity, experienced minor damage to their living spaces. An eyewitness recounted damage to tiles on a high-rise building and a few shattered windows.

Onlookers below noted that the falling debris damaged cars, smashing their windshields. The police soon sealed off the area, and fragments, believed to be from the drones, were collected by officials from Russia’s FSB security service.

Ukraine has not made any comments regarding this event. It’s worth noting that Ukraine rarely directly acknowledges drone strikes on Russian territory. However, since two of their drones were shot down over the Kremlin this past May, such attacks have become more frequent.

These airborne skirmishes have caused disruptions. Flights in Russia face temporary halts, and buildings bear the brunt of minor damages. Recounting an incident from a day earlier, a regional governor mentioned that falling drone parts injured at least two individuals in the Moscow region.

Another incident in the Odintsovo district, located west of Moscow, had residents startled. “Windows were shaking,” described a local, who heard four loud blasts around 0300 local time.

Reiterating the events, the Russian defense ministry stated, “An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles was foiled tonight.”

They confirmed the destruction of two drones over Moscow, with two more being intercepted over the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine.

This aerial intrusion reportedly resulted in a brief closure of Moscow’s airspace. Delays ensued as three major Moscow airports suspended operations. However, Rosaviatsia, the nation’s aviation authority, later reported that normalcy was restored across all airports.

Russian officials have voiced their concerns over these aerial disruptions, emphasizing the potential risk to Moscow and its nearly 22 million residents.

Lastly, after a reported attack on the Russian Shaykovka military airfield, which purportedly damaged several aircraft, a GUR spokesperson simply remarked, “the GUR is working,” shedding no further light on the matter.