https://arab.news/zhu8z
- Drone attacks target Moscow and Russia鈥檚 Black Sea patrols
- The building that was struck is known as the 鈥淚Q quarter,鈥� which houses the ministry of economic development, the digital ministry and the ministry of industry and trade
MOSCOW: A high-rise building in Moscow鈥檚 business district that houses three Russian government ministries was struck by a drone for the second time in three days on Tuesday, in what Russia called an attempted Ukrainian 鈥渢errorist attack.鈥�
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said Moscow should expect more drone attacks and 鈥渕ore war.鈥�
The building that was struck is known as the 鈥淚Q quarter,鈥� which houses the Ministry of economic development, the digital ministry, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Video obtained by Reuters showed a section of its glass facade, high above the ground, had been destroyed by the impact.
鈥淎t the moment, experts are assessing the damage and the state of the infrastructure for the safety of people in the building. This will take some time,鈥� Darya Levchenko, an adviser to the economy minister, said on Telegram. She said staff were working by video conference.
Moscow has come under repeated drone attacks since early May, when two drones were fired at the roof of a building in the Kremlin complex.
While the incidents have not caused casualties or major damage, they have provoked widespread unease and sit awkwardly with the Kremlin鈥檚 narrative that Russia鈥檚 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥� in Ukraine is proceeding according to plan.
Ukraine has drawn satisfaction from the attacks, though without directly claiming responsibility for them.
鈥淢oscow is rapidly getting used to a full-fledged war,鈥� Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
He said Russia should expect 鈥渕ore unidentified drones, more collapse, more civil conflicts, more war.鈥�
鈥橭UT OF CONTROL鈥�
In a statement, the Russian defense ministry said it had thwarted the 鈥渁ttempted terrorist attack鈥� and downed two drones west of the Moscow city center.
It said another one was foiled by jamming equipment and went 鈥渙ut of control鈥� before crashing into buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said it hit the same tower that had been struck on Sunday. 鈥淭he facade has been damaged on the 21st floor. Glazing was destroyed over 150 square meters,鈥� he said.
A witness told Reuters: 鈥淲e were going to see the tower where the explosion happened the day before yesterday... Suddenly there was this explosion, and we immediately ran. There were shards of glass, and then smoke rising. Then the security services starting running that way. The shards were really big.鈥�
Vnukovo airport, one of three major airports serving the capital, briefly shut down but later resumed full operations.
After the first drone hit the business district on Sunday, tech company Yandex sent a memo to staff instructing them not to be in the office at night and urging them to 鈥渢ake care.鈥�
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Ukrainian attacks on Moscow and other targets inside Russia were 鈥渁cts of desperation鈥� and that Russia was taking all measures possible to protect against strikes.