Drone attacks hit Moscow, stirring fury at the Kremlin

Al Jazeera ^ | 30 May 2023 | Staff

[Red Badger]

Two are injured in a rare attack on Moscow as more heavy Russian raids target Kyiv, killing at least one person.

A view shows a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

A multi-storey apartment block damaged during a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on May 30, 2023 [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters] Published On 30 May 2023 30 May 2023 Correction30 May 2023 An earlier version of this article stated that Moscow is more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from Ukraine. This was incorrect. Moscow is a few hundred kilometres from the Ukraine border. Drones struck Moscow on Tuesday but were neutralised, Russia said, in what one politician called the worst attack on the capital since World War II, while Kyiv was also hit from the air for the third time in 24 hours.

Since Russia invaded its neighbour in February last year, the war has largely been fought inside Ukraine, though Moscow has reported some attacks on its territory and blamed them on Ukraine, including an alleged assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two people were injured, but not seriously, while some residents in two lightly damaged apartment blocks were briefly evacuated.

Russia’s defence ministry said eight drones sent by Kyiv were shot down or diverted, though Baza, a Telegram channel with links to the security services, said more than 25 were involved.

Residents in southwestern Moscow said they heard loud bangs followed by the smell of petrol at about 5am to 6am local time [02:00 to 03:00 GMT]. Some filmed a drone being shot down and a plume of smoke rising over the Moscow skyline.

Politician Maxim Ivanov termed it the most serious assault on Moscow since the Nazis, saying no citizen could now avoid “the new reality”.

“You will either defeat the enemy as a single fist with our Motherland, or the indelible shame of cowardice, collaboration and betrayal will engulf your family,” he said.

Two weeks ago, two drones exploded over the Kremlin in an attack Russia also blamed on Kyiv and said was aimed at Putin.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak denied Kyiv was directly involved in targeting Moscow on Tuesday, though he said “we are pleased to watch” and forecast more to come.

Russia’s defence ministry cast the assault as a “terrorist drone attack” launched by the “Kyiv regime”.

Investigators gather evidence while working outside a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Investigators gather evidence while working outside a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on May 30, 2023 [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters] In Kyiv, Ukrainian defence forces said they shot down more than 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones on Tuesday.

One person died – reportedly a 30-year-old woman, and four were injured when debris from a destroyed Russian projectile hit a high-rise apartment building causing a fire, Ukrainian officials said. Two upper floors were destroyed with people possibly still under rubble.

Photos from Kyiv officials showed flames engulfing the top of the building.

“The attack was massive, came from different directions, in several waves,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration.

Russia has attacked Kyiv 17 times in May with drones or missiles, mostly at night, in an apparent attempt to undermine Ukrainians’ will to fight after more than 15 months of war.

Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Kyiv, said: “Where I am right now is an apartment block that was hit, the top two floors pretty much nearly destroyed.

“At the foot of this apartment block is a cleanup process. People are inspecting their cars that are damaged, trying to absorb what has happened. They are looking up at the top of the building, the windows are nearly blown up. A lot of [residents] are going to have to leave this building with their suitcases, their pets. Some of them are saying they don’t want to leave, they’re happy they have survived.

“This is the worst nightmare for people here in Kyiv. These attacks have been going on night after night now. This is the third consecutive attack now. People are not sleeping. But every night, when they do go to sleep, they hear those sirens, they hear the explosions and they just don’t know what will happen.”

In Moscow, journalist Yulia Shapovalova, said there was a sense of “calm” in the capital despite the attacks.

“Moscow is buzzing as usual now. People are going to work, public transport is functioning normally, it seems like nothing happened.

“People on the street are very calm, but I should tell you many people in Russia sincerely believe the information they regularly hear on TV, that the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine have been inevitable and that President [Vladimir] Putin, as a great strategist, began it first on foreign soil.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

[BobL]

You know Lindsey Graham was mad, since no Russians were killed.

[rbmillerjr]

I was merely disappointed. Russians are the enemy.

[2banana]

Fury!

Furry?

[BobL]

“I was merely disappointed. Russians are the enemy.”

Just out of curiosity, what have Russians done to you? Probably not jailed you, maybe tricked you on an internet scam?

[EyeInThePyramid]

Just out of curiosity, what have Russians done to you?

Russia is allied with China and Iran -- two countries that are at war with the U.S.

[MeganC]

Bullies, brigands, thieves, burglars, robbers, murderers, and rapists always hate it when their victims fight back.

[rbmillerjr]

They enslaved millions in Europe after WWII. They actually enslaved their own people, as well. They are a sworn enemy of the United States and back it up with alliances with rogue nations and intelligence operations to harm the US and US interests.

[Red Badger]

The Fast and the Furrious!......................

[chuckb87]

“They are a sworn enemy of the United States and back it up with alliances with rogue nations and intelligence operations to harm the US and US interests.”

You’re talking about Brandon and his administration?

[chuckb87]

“They are a sworn enemy of the United States and back it up with alliances with rogue nations and intelligence operations to harm the US and US interests.”

You’re talking about Brandon and his administration?

[Bulwyf]

They don’t know. They still live in the 70s. Russia bad. They aren’t fighting the wef or anything.

[Boogieman]

“Just out of curiosity, what have Russians done to you?”

Gee, they only killed tens of millions of people in the previous century, funded and directed every radical leftist revolutionary movement in the USA and elsewhere, and attempted to topple every other government on the planet so they could enslave the entire human race. But other than that, not too much I guess.

[Bulwyf]

They aren’t intelligent enough to get your point.

[Macho MAGA Man]

I watched Patton last night. At the end of the movie he said he should team up with the Germans and march into Russia because he foresaw we’d be at war with them someday. After saying that, Ike took the 3rd Army away from him.

[BobL]

“But other than that, not too much I guess.”

Didn’t think the Russians did much to you (or any other American, other than Brittany). But there’s PLENTY that Ukraine has done to me, including getting the president I voted for impeached.

[dfwgator]

He also talked about how The US and Britain were destined to rule the world after the war, and left out the Russians.

[BobL]

“Russia is allied with China and Iran — two countries that are at war with the U.S.”

Hmmm, sounds like I missed those wars. How many Americans killed last week by either country?

[Boogieman]

“Didn’t think the Russians did much to you”

Sure you don’t, because you’re a Russian water carrier. Go fetch some more jugs for your Tsar.

[rx]

Who was the more accident-prone and did more damage? The remote pilot for the Moscow drone, or...

...student pilot Charles Bishop (relative of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, who was guilty of "being there" when RFK was assassinated) in Tampa on 1/5/2002?