MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has responded to today’s drone attacks on the capital Moscow, accusing Ukraine of trying to frighten Russians.
He said civilians were targeted, but air defences dealt satisfactorily with the threat.
The defence ministry said at least eight drones caused minor damage, but Kyiv has denied responsibility.
This is the first time the city has been targeted by multiple drones since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said no-one was seriously injured. Several drones fell on an exclusive western suburb where senior officials live.
Mr Putin said the attack had been a response to what he described as a Russian attack on Ukraine’s military intelligence HQ in recent days. The BBC is unable to independently verify whether any such attack took place.
“In response to this, the Kyiv regime chose a different path – the path of attempts to intimidate Russia, to intimidate Russia’s citizens, and of air strikes against residential buildings,” he said.
“This is obviously a sign of terrorist activity.”
“They are provoking us into responding in kind,” he added.
The strikes on Moscow followed an overnight drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv in which at least one person was reported killed.
Ukrainian officials said falling debris set buildings on fire as Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted more than 20 drones.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said all eight drones targeting Moscow had been intercepted.
“Three of them were suppressed by electronic warfare, lost control and deviated from their intended targets. Another five drones were shot down by the Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile system in the Moscow region,” the ministry said.
The aerial assaults struck some of Moscow’s most prominent neighbourhoods. Areas hit include Leninsky Prospekt, a grand boulevard created under Josef Stalin.
A suburb of western Moscow where Mr Putin has a residence, along with other members of the Russian elite, was also hit.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kyiv was not directly involved, but that Ukraine had enjoyed watching events unfold and predicted an increase in such incidents.