Ukraine's attempt to conduct a terrorist attack on Russian territory has been thwarted, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement on Monday.
The MoD added "On August 28, at about 04:30 Moscow time, [Russian] air defenses prevented another attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV of an aircraft type) on the territory of the Russian Federation. The UAV was destroyed by air defense systems above Lyubertsy District of the Moscow Region," the MoD said.
The statement came after Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin wrote on his Telegram page that a drone flying towards Moscow had been obliterated by air defense forces in Lyubertsy District.
“According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or damage. Emergency services are working at the scene of the incident,” Sobyanin added.
This followed MoD saying that two Ukrainian drones were shot down by the Russian air defense over the Bryansk Region on Monday night.
Last week, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo voiced alarm over Ukrainian strikes on towns deep inside Russia and near its border with Ukraine.
"We are […] concerned about the possible impact on civilians of the shelling of Russian border communities and drone attacks deep inside Russia, including Moscow," DiCarlo said during a UN Security Council meeting. He stressed that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are indefensible and prohibited under international law.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF)’s drone attacks come amid Kiev’s futile attempts to break through Russian defensive lines, a counteroffensive which has already caused huge losses in the UAF’s men and materiel.