RTWed, 09 Aug 2023 11:11 UTC
© Sputnik / Alexander Wilf
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"At night, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by drones was thwarted over Moscow region," the ministry said in a statement.
Both UAVs were destroyed by air defenses. According to Sobyanin, one of them was shot down to the south of the capital, while another was destroyed over the M1 highway, which runs from Moscow to the border with Belarus.The officials did not provide any further details on the incident, and the type of drone used remains unclear.
A video shared on social media is believed to show the moment one of the drones was hit by the air defenses. In a short clip apparently filmed by a CCTV camera, a flash is seen, accompanied by the sound of an explosion.
On Sunday, another UAV was shot down while trying to strike Moscow. The attempted attack did not cause any casualties or damage on the ground.
Ukrainian UAVs reached the Russian capital on July 30 and again on August 1, both times hitting the city's financial district. The military said both incidents took place after electronic countermeasures were deployed against the aircraft.
Comment:
Powerful explosion at factory in Moscow Region
© Social media
A powerful explosion has rocked a factory in the town of Sergiyev Posad outside of Moscow, with evacuation efforts underway, local authorities have said.
The incident took place on the territory of the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant, which according to its website, designs and produces optical and electronic equipment.
Prosecutors have confirmed preliminary data suggesting that the explosion occurred in a pyrotechnics warehouse.
Andrey Vorobyev, Moscow Region's governor, said citing emergency services that 31 people were injured in the blast. Later, he noted that 43 people had been taken to a local hospital, with six of them, who suffered burns and head injuries, being treated in intensive care.
He stated that a total of 52 people sought medical assistance after the blast, adding that five people may still be trapped under the rubble. Later, the local administration confirmed that a female factory employee succumbed to her injuries in a local hospital.
Mass evacuation efforts have been announced from all facilities on factory premises.
Numerous clips shared by local media show a large plume of smoke rising from the factory, towering over nearby buildings.
A source in the emergency services told RIA Novosti that the explosion took place due to a violation of technical procedures
Meanwhile, the Mash Telegram channel shared footage from a nearby security camera that captured the moment of the explosion, showing a fireball and a plume of smoke rising in the distance. It claimed, citing eyewitnesses, that the blast shattered windows in at least ten nearby buildings, with ceilings collapsing in offices close by.
The BAZA Telegram channel said that the emergency services had arrived on the scene and that traffic near the factory had been closed.
WATCH Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow
Footage obtained by RT shows the moment a disabled aircraft exploded in the financial district on July 30
A blast caused by a downed Ukrainian drone in Moscow's financial district in late July sent people scrambling for safety and shattered the windows in one of the nearby skyscrapers, footage obtained by RT shows.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Moscow came under Ukrainian drone attack on July 30, with a total of three aircraft involved. It said that while one drone was destroyed by air defenses outside the capital, two others were disabled, veered off course, and crashed "on the territory of a non-residential complex in Moscow City [business district]," which is home to numerous companies and government organizations.
Security footage from cameras inside and near the Federation tower shows the moment one of the drones exploded. The 21-second clip from outside the building shows a powerful explosion smashing windows, with a man standing at the entrance scrambling to huddle against the walls.
Another 11-second video, filmed on the ground floor inside the tower, shows a security post, and a guard talking to a woman. After a powerful explosion, both can be seen running deeper into the building.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the attack caused minor damage to the facades of two office buildings, adding that there were no casualties or injuries.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has ramped up its attempts to target Moscow with drone strikes, which have been mostly unsuccessful. On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Moscow's air defenses had thwarted another "terrorist attack" involving two Ukrainian drones which were shot down on their way to the Russian capital.
In late July, commenting on the recurring Ukrainian drone raids on Moscow, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that they looked like "acts of desperation" that he claimed were motivated by Kiev's failure to breach Russian lines during its much-hyped counteroffensive. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine has lost more than 43,000 service members and almost 5,000 pieces of military equipment since the start of the push in early June
Quote: "The cost of a military drone reaper varies depending on the country and the type of drone used.1 The US Armed Forces uses Reapers, which can carry laser-guided bombs and other types of air-to-surface missiles, and can fly for over a thousand miles and operate non-stop for 14 hours.2 In 2020, the Air Force reported that new Reapers cost about $32 million each.1 The Global Hawk drone, which almost waged war against Iran in 2019, cost $220 million.2 The cost of an MQ-9 Reaper drone is estimated to be $1.651 billion by the Australian government when they enquired about buying 12 Reapers, along with the relevant equipment and supplies. The downing of an MQ-9 Reaper drone following a collision with a Russian jet is likely to cost the US Military several million dollars."