Russia says measures being taken after drone attack in Moscow

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday reiterated that measures were being taken following an overnight drone attack on a business center in Moscow, for which Russia has blamed Ukraine.

Speaking at a news conference in the capital, Peskov refused to further comment on the attack, noting that "an expert" assessment can be only given by the military.

The spokesman said there was nothing in common between the drone attack on a skyscraper in the Moscow International Business Center and the 9/11 terrorist attack against the twin towers in New York.

Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the 50-floor building was damaged as a result of the drone attack.

Although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the rising number of drone attacks in past weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said attacks on Russian territory are an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process."

Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022.

Turning to the issue of BRICS format expansion, a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Peskov said there were "nuances" on this matter between the bloc's members.

"The topic of BRICS expansion is high on the agenda, including the agenda of the upcoming summit. This is an important topic, because we see that more and more countries are making statements about their intentions to join this group.

"Indeed, within the framework of the BRICS, there are certain nuances among the members on the topic of expansion, and all these nuances, of course, will be discussed during the upcoming summit," he said.

BRICS summit will take place on Aug. 22-24 in Johannesburg, South Africa.