Drone strikes shake Russia for second day straight as Moscow’s air defenses respond
Strike drones attack the Moscow region and several other regions of Russia (Photo: Getty Images)
Russia has been under attack by strike drones for the second day in a row. The drones are heavily targeting border regions with Ukraine as well as Moscow, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, and Russian public sources.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that between 20:00 and 23:50 Moscow time (currently the same as Kyiv time), air defense forces destroyed and intercepted 77 unmanned aerial vehicles:
- 42 over the territory of Kursk region;
- 14 over Belgorod region;
- 9 over the Moscow region;
- 8 over Oryol region;
- 2 over Kaluga region;
- one each over Ryazan and Tula regions.
In particular, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported at 22:29 that six drones had been destroyed, and at 23:07 that three more drones heading toward the Russian capital were shot down.
Emergency service specialists are working at the sites where the debris fell.
Tula and Lipetsk regions
Meanwhile, drones were spotted flying over the city of Yelets in the Lipetsk region. Residents reported hearing about four explosions.
Additionally, drones are attacking the Tula region. According to the Telegram channel Mash, residents of the Proletarsky District reported hearing distinctive sounds and seeing flashes starting at 11:45 p.m.
Explosions in the sky were also reported by residents of the city of Novomoskovsk in the Tula region. As reported by the Telegram channel SHOT, loud bangs were heard around midnight in various parts of the city. Preliminary reports suggest that air defense systems were targeting drones.
Drone attack on Russia
The drone assault on Russia has continued for a second consecutive day. During the night of May 21, strike drones launched a massive attack on several regions of Russia.
Explosions were heard in the Tula and Ryazan regions. Rosaviatsiya temporarily suspended operations at airports in Kaluga, Tula, Yaroslavl, and Kostroma.
Later, it was revealed that UAVs had struck the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant in the Oryol region. The facility manufactures components for howitzers, tanks, and missiles.
On May 21, drones were also detected and shot down over several European regions of Russia during the day.
