President Putin said Ukraine was trying to intimidate Russians, after Moscow and the surrounding area were attacked by eight UAVs.
"Command posts in Ukraine were hit two or three days ago. In response, the government in Kiev chose a different path, trying to threaten Russia, threaten Russian citizens and attack residential buildings," President Vladimir Putin said today.
The Kremlin chief commented after several apartment buildings in Moscow and the surrounding area were hit by drones. Russia accused Ukraine of being behind the incident, while Kiev denied it. According to the Russian Defense Ministry , eight UAVs were involved in the attack and were all shot down by the country's air defense forces.
President Putin said Moscow's air defences had been effective in the incident, but added that "there is still work to be done".
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said earlier that some buildings were slightly damaged after the UAV attack, and two people were injured but not seriously.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs an online meeting on March 29. Photo: AFP
The Russian Foreign Ministry said today that Western support for Ukraine "has pushed Kiev to increasingly reckless actions, including terrorism". The agency accused the attacks in Moscow of being aimed at "sowing panic among civilians".
"Assurances from NATO officials that Kiev would not launch strikes deep inside Russian territory turned out to be false," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, adding that Moscow reserved the right to take "the strongest measures" in response to the UAV attack.
The White House said today that the US is still gathering information related to the UAV attack on Moscow. Washington reaffirmed that it does not support attacks on Russian territory and is focused on supporting Kiev to regain its territory.
Part of an apartment building on Profsoyuznaya Street, southern Moscow, damaged by a UAV attack on May 30. Photo: Twitter/Runews
Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of carrying out drone attacks on its territory, targeting civilian and military infrastructure. The Ukrainian government and military have not accepted responsibility for the explosions inside Russia.
Belgorod province and many other Russian border localities have recently been hit by continuous raids, which are considered to be the largest and most daring since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022. The raids took place in the context of the Ukrainian army preparing to launch a major counter-offensive campaign.
Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters )
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