UPDATE 2 - Russia claims it foiled Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, Crimea

UPDATES WITH STATEMENTS FROM RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, UKRAINIAN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION MINISTER

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia on Monday claimed that it thwarted overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

In an initial statement, the Defense Ministry said “by means of electronic warfare, two Ukrainian UAVs (over Moscow) were jammed and crashed,” adding that there were no casualties.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Telegram that the attack took place at about 4 a.m. (0100GMT) on two non-residential buildings. “There were no serious damages or casualties. All emergency services are on site,” he added.

The ministry later said it the forces also thwarted another Ukrainian drone attack in Crimea overnight.

"Fourteen Ukrainian UAVs were suppressed by electronic warfare, of which 11 drones crashed in the Black Sea, and three more fell on the territory of the peninsula," the statement said.

It added that three more drones were destroyed by air defense systems.

Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, said the drones hit an ammunition depot in the Dzhankoi district.

He claimed drone debris also damaged a private house in the Kirovske district, adding that the population of nearby villages in the Dzhankoi district was being evacuated.

He also said that railway traffic in the district and the Dzhankoi-Simferopol highway was temporarily suspended.

Ukrainian Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Telegram that electronic warfare and air defense systems are "less and less able to protect the skies of the occupiers," further saying there would be more strikes to come.

- 'Another use of terrorist methods' by Ukraine

Following the drone attacks, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement describing the attacks as "another use of terrorist methods by the military-political leadership of Ukraine."

"These attacks had no military meaning. We strongly condemn this yet another crime of the Kyiv regime. We call on international organizations to give it a proper assessment," the statement said.

It said that the “West's focus on further aggravating the situation” in the region is behind the "brazen actions" of Ukraine, further saying that Russia's Investigative Committee has opened criminal cases into the attacks.

"All those responsible will be found and punished. The Russian side reserves the right to take tough retaliatory measures," the ministry added.