Two people killed in drone attack on Moscow

MOSCCOW, Sept. 20 (YPA) – Moscow and surrounding areas came on Sunday under a large-scale drone attack involving hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles, killing two people and damaging residential neighborhoods and a major oil refinery. The attack coincided with the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections.

In a statement, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses had shot down more than 1,600 drones across various areas since Saturday, while Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported that 249 drones had been intercepted over the region. He said around 400 people were evacuated after a fire broke out in a residential building. The attacks also disrupted air traffic, with the landing of more than 30 flights at Moscow airports suspended.

Russian authorities accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the elections, although the available reports contained no direct confirmation from Kyiv of responsibility for the attack on Moscow.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported that three people, including two children and a woman, were killed in a Russian attack on the Fastiv area near Kyiv. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had carried out precision strikes on targets in the Ukrainian capital, including facilities linked to the production of military guidance and control systems.

The repercussions of the war also spread to neighboring countries. Moldova said it was investigating an explosion near Chisinau suspected of being linked to a drone, while Luxembourg temporarily suspended flights after drones were spotted near its main airport.

The developments came amid growing European concerns over the widening scope of the Russia-Ukraine war, as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned of the risk of NATO and Russia being drawn into a broader confrontation and called on countries in the region to avoid becoming direct parties to the conflict.

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