32 drones flying towards Moscow shot down: Official

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - At least 32 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying towards Russia’s capital Moscow early morning were shot down by air defenses, local authorities said on Sunday.

Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a statement on Telegram that 32 drones flying towards the Russian capital were downed over the Moscow region’s Domodedovsky, Ramensky and Kolomensky districts.

There is no damage or casualties at the site of the falling debris, Sobyanin said, adding emergency services are working at the scene.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) initially announced temporary restrictions at Moscow’s Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports as of 8:03 a.m. local time (0503GMT).

Rosaviatsia later declared that temporary restrictions were also introduced at Sheremetyevo International Airport as of 9:45 a.m. local time (0645GMT).

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it intercepted 23 Ukrainian drones in an overnight attack over the country's border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, and Rostov.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet officially taken responsibility for the attack on Moscow and the four border regions.