Russia claims 1 injured in foiled Ukrainian drone attacks in Moscow, Crimea

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) — At least one person was injured in Moscow early on Sunday after drone strikes that Russia claimed was organized by Ukraine, along with another attack on the Crimean Peninsula.

"One Ukrainian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was destroyed in the air by air defense systems over the territory of the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram.

The statement claimed that two more drones were stopped by electronic warfare systems and later crashed on the premises of a non-residential building complex in the city.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a statement on Telegram that there were no casualties due to the fallen drones, while the facades of two towers in the city were damaged.

A security guard in one of the towers was injured, an official from Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said, according to state news agency TASS.

In an earlier statement, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it had foiled an attempt by Ukraine to carry out attacks on objects in Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, with 25 drones late on Saturday.

It said: "16 Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defense fire. Nine more Ukrainian drones were suppressed by electronic warfare and, without reaching the target, crashed in the Black Sea near Cape Tarkhankut."

No casualties or damage resulted due to the attack, it added.

Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the claims, with independent verification of Russia's claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.