Russia faces massive drone attack with nearly a third targeting Moscow
Photo: A Ukrainian soldier with a Leleka drone (Getty Images)
Russia reported a record-breaking drone attack that affected dozens of regions. According to Russian authorities, 450 drones were shot down as they approached Moscow, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Sobyanin states that Russian air defense forces repelled the largest-scale drone attack on Moscow.
According to him, over 1,600 drones were allegedly destroyed along all front lines since the previous day. Of this number, 450 drones, the mayor claims, were shot down as they approached Moscow.
Thus, according to data released by Russian authorities, approximately 28% of the total number of drones were directed toward Moscow. At the same time, this does not mean that all 1,600-plus drones were headed specifically for the capital—Sobyanin was referring to the total number of drones shot down at various front lines.
Despite the air defense efforts, several drones, according to the mayor, allegedly reached Moscow's territory.
"However, several drones reached the territory of the Moscow oil refinery, and one struck a residential building. There were no fatalities," Sobyanin states.
According to him, drones also attacked the territory of the Moscow oil refinery. He does not provide details on the nature of the damage.
Russian Ministry of Defense cites different number of drones
The Russian Ministry of Defense reveals its own report on the nighttime attack. It cites a different total figure.
According to the ministry, Russian air defense forces allegedly intercepted and destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones last night.
The Russian Ministry of Defense states that the drones were detected over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Ryazan, Tula, Kaluga, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Tambov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Smolensk, and Oryol regions.
The Russian agency's list also includes the Rostov, Volgograd, Saratov, and Samara regions; the Krasnodar Krai; the Moscow region; occupied Crimea; and the Black Sea.
Nighttime attack on Russia
Overnight, a series of explosions and drone swarms flying in several directions were reported near Moscow. In the village of Sofino, according to preliminary reports, a fire broke out in some warehouse facilities.
Fire Point stated that its FP-1 strike drones had destroyed a warehouse complex in the Moscow region. According to preliminary data, the facilities belonged to the company Sovremennye Skladskie Tekhnologii.
In addition, the Gazpromneft-MNPZ Moscow oil refinery came under attack during the same strike. According to an analysis of eyewitness footage conducted by ASTRA, a fire broke out on the refinery's premises. The mayor of Moscow also confirmed an attack on one of the refinery's facilities.
The previous largest-scale attack took place on the night of September 18. At that time, Sobyanin reported more than 350 drones heading toward the Moscow region, 64 of which were flying toward the capital.
