A Ukrainian drone struck a high-rise residential complex near central Moscow early Monday, city officials said, a rare breach of the Russian capital’s defenses despite increased security and tightened internet restrictions intended to thwart such attacks.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no injuries after the drone crashed in a southwestern district across from the historic Mosfilm studio.
Photos published by local media showed a gash in the side of the skyscraper, while video footage from inside a damaged apartment showed firefighters navigating rooms littered with debris.
The Moscow Times was able to identify the building as the Dom na Mosfilmovskoy, a prominent luxury residential complex.
Sobyanin said five drones targeted the Russian capital between Sunday night and Monday morning.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a briefing that it intercepted 117 Ukrainian drones nationwide overnight, including in the greater Moscow region.
The attack on Moscow comes just days ahead of the annual Victory Day military parade on Red Square.
Russian authorities have said this year’s parade will not feature military vehicles for the first time in nearly two decades. The Kremlin said the decision was based on security concerns amid an uptick in Ukrainian drone attacks across the country.
President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding a ceasefire with Ukraine on May 9, though it remains unclear if authorities in Kyiv will agree.
Also on Monday, a Russian missile strike on a town in eastern Ukraine killed at least four people and injured 18 others.
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