Moscow, Kiev targeted by drone strikes as fighting intensifies
Both Ukraine and Russia reported on Tuesday morning that their capitals have been targeted by drones coming from the other side, as fighting between the warring neighbors intensifies.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said drones attacked the Russian capital on Tuesday morning, damaging several buildings.
Sobyanin ordered the evacuation of residents from the two apartment blocks that were targeted, according to messages posted on Telegram.
No information regarding casualties has been provided yet.
Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov reported having shot down several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near Moscow.
"This morning, residents of some districts in the Moscow Region could hear the sounds of explosions - it was our air defense in operation. Several drones were downed on their course to Moscow," Vorobyov said.
The drone attack early on Tuesday caused minor damage to a few buildings in the Russian capital, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, who also emphasized that no one was seriously hurt.
This is while Ukrainian officials claimed that “massive” Russian drone raids on Kiev killed one person and injured four more, but later explained that the casualties resulted from “falling debris” of shot-down drones.
Explaining the casualties, however, the Ukrainian officials also claimed that their forces shot down 20 Russian drones over the capital city, blaming "falling debris" for setting ablaze the high-rise residential building that killed one, wounded at least four, and forced the evacuation of 20 residents.
According to the military administration in Kiev, the two upper floors of the building have been destroyed, and there may still be survivors under the rubble.
It further stated that the "massive" drone raid marked the second such attack on the Ukrainian capital this week and the 17th since the start of the month.
Such claims by Kiev’s officials come just a week after a British government-tied think tank unveiled in a report that Ukraine has suffered a massive loss of 10,000 drones per month in its war against Russia.
SS