A skyscraper was on fire in Moscow this morning after drones were shot down over the Russian capital in the latest suspected Ukrainian attack, while huge explosions rocked occupied Crimea.
According to Russian sources, the drones, which are believed to have been aimed at Russian Defense Ministry facilities, were shot down by electronic jammers.
One of them caused severe damage to a high-rise business center on Likhacheva Prospekt, near one of Moscow’s main ring roads.
According to Russian expert Hristo Grozev, a drone has apparently crashed near a military university serving as the headquarters of the GRU military intelligence “cyberoffensive”. There was no immediate confirmation of the attack or claim of responsibility.
It came as a munitions depot was hit early Monday in a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea’s Jankoi, with Russian air defense forces shooting down or electronically blocking 11 drones over the area, a Russia-deployed official said.
A skyscraper burned down in Moscow this morning after drones were shot down over the Russian capital in the latest suspected Ukrainian attack. A view of the damaged building is seen following a reported drone strike in Moscow on Monday July 24
Members of Russian security services survey the site of a damaged building following a reported drone strike in Moscow July 24
Pictured: A video allegedly showing a drone flying over Moscow this morning
Meanwhile, a nighttime Russian drone strike on port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odessa region destroyed a grain hangar, Kiev’s military said on Monday.
This comes in the wake of a Russian missile attack that severely damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral in Odessa on Sunday, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to swear retaliation.
In Moscow, fragments of a drone were found a mile from the Defense Ministry, a report said on Monday. Windows of shops and apartment buildings were also smashed on Komsomolsky Prospect.
“The wreckage of a drone was discovered at Komsomolsky Prospekt 17.” “According to preliminary information, there were no injuries,” an emergency official told TASS.
“On the morning of July 24, an attempt by the Kiev regime to launch a terrorist attack using two unmanned aerial vehicles against facilities on the territory of the city of Moscow was foiled,” the ministry said on Telegram.
“Two Ukrainian UAVs.” [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] were knocked out by means of electronic warfare and crashed,” the ministry adds
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said: “Drone attacks on two non-residential buildings were registered around 4 a.m. today, causing no major damage or casualties.” “All emergency services are on scene.”
A drone could be seen flying over Moscow in the early morning light, while images from the post-stroke scene showed the ground at the base of the high-rise building was covered in rubble and security forces sifting through the rubble.
A voice was recorded in a Moscow video saying: “Something exploded next to our house.”
Investigators examine a damaged building following a reported drone strike in Moscow on July 24
A police officer carries debris to security forces who are examining a bridge near a damaged building after a drone strike was reported in Moscow July 24
“Our windows almost blew out.” We better watch the news. It was a very powerful explosion.’
The Russians blamed Ukraine for two drone strikes that hit the Kremlin on May 3. This was presented as an attempt to “assassinate Putin”.
In late May, a drone strike occurred near Putin’s palatial official residence, Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow.
There was no direct comment from Kiev on today’s strikes in Moscow.
Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but has said in recent months that destroying Russia’s military infrastructure is helping Kiev’s counteroffensive.
Regarding the attacks in Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov – the Russian-installed governor of the peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 – said a residential building in the region had been damaged.
He said there was no evidence of casualties but people within 5 kilometers of the incident were being evacuated.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the ammunition depot was hit directly by a drone or if it was damaged by falling drone debris.
Russia has a military airfield near Dzhankoy. Ukrainian officials have long said the city and surrounding areas have been turned into Moscow’s largest military base in Crimea.
Aksyonov also said on the news app Telegram that rail and road traffic in the region has been suspended “for safety reasons”.
A view shows a damaged building after a reported drone attack in Moscow on July 24
Police officers work at the scene of a reported drone strike in central Moscow on July 24
Portal news agency said it could not independently verify reports of the attacks. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the alleged attack.
Ukraine has said in recent months that destroying Russia’s military infrastructure will help Kiev’s counteroffensive.
It was the second such attack in Crimea in three days. On Saturday, Aksyonov said a drone caused an explosion at an ammunition depot in central Crimea, prompting authorities to evacuate nearby people and temporarily halt road traffic on the bridge linking the peninsula with Russia.
Ukraine complained about the incident, saying its army destroyed an oil depot and warehouses belonging to the Russian army.
Meanwhile, Kiev’s military said on Monday that a nighttime drone attack on port infrastructure in the Odessa region destroyed a grain hangar.
“Tonight an almost four-hour attack by ‘Shahed-136’ drones was aimed at the port infrastructure of the Danube in the Odessa region,” Ukraine’s Southern Military Command said on Telegram.
“As a result of the attacks, a grain hangar was destroyed, tanks storing other types of cargo were damaged.”
Three of the Iran-made Shahed attack drones used in the attack were destroyed by anti-aircraft defenses, the military said.
“According to initial reports, about four dockers were injured, but the information is still being clarified,” it said.
Attacks on Ukraine’s Odessa region have escalated since Russia last week withdrew a key deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be safely exported across the Black Sea.
Russia fired 19 rockets at the Ukrainian city of Odessa over the weekend, destroying the grain hub and historical buildings
The Russian authorities then announced that they would consider all ships bound for Ukrainian grain ports on the Black Sea as military targets.
Russia fired 19 rockets at the city of Odessa over the weekend, destroying its historic city center and grain handling port – killing one and injuring many others.
Ukraine announced on Sunday that night strikes killed one person and injured 22 people, including four children.
Kiev has accused Russia of targeting the grain shipments and infrastructure crucial for a resumption of Ukraine’s grain exports.