A large-scale wave of drone attacks has been carried out against various regions of Russia on the eve of the last day of the parliamentary elections. The Moscow region has been most seriously affected, where Russian authorities report over 1,600 drones neutralized.
Over 1,600 drones neutralized in the direction of Moscow
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that since September 19, Russian air defenses have repelled an attack by more than 1,600 drones on various fronts towards the capital.
According to him, about 450 of them were aimed directly at Moscow.
Sobyanin described the attack as the most massive so far against the capital. Hits and falling debris were recorded in Moscow, including on a building in the area of Orekhovaya Boulevard.
A site on the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery was also damaged. According to preliminary information, there were no deaths in the capital itself.
There were casualties and injuries in the Moscow region
The consequences are more severe in the Moscow region.
Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported deaths and injuries in the attacks. According to the latest data from the Russian authorities, the number of victims in the region is three, and the number of injured is significant.
Residential buildings and industrial and logistics infrastructure were damaged.
Due to the attack, temporary restrictions were introduced for the operation of Moscow airports, which led to changes, delays and rerouting of flights.
Russia links the attack to the elections
Russian authorities stated that the massive attack was undertaken with the aim of disrupting the parliamentary elections.
Sobyanin stated that, in his opinion, the attack was planned precisely for this purpose, but failed to achieve a result.
The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for a terrorist attack over the drone strikes in the Moscow region.
Over 1,900 drones and eight missiles shot down in 24 hours
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that in the past 24 hours, air defenses have destroyed or intercepted 1,951 Ukrainian drones.
The military department also reported that eight "Flamingo" cruise missiles were shot down, as well as other air targets.
These data are from the Russian Defense Ministry and cannot be independently confirmed in full.
Injured in Bryansk Region
Six people were injured as a result of two consecutive drone attacks carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against vehicles in the Bryansk region. The incidents led to the hospitalization of the wounded citizens with shrapnel injuries in the local hospital.
Russian authorities reported that 211 aircraft-type drones were destroyed over the Bryansk region in the past 24 hours.
Sources: Interfax, Associated Press, Russian Defense Ministry, Governor Andrei Vorobyov