In a recent escalation of hostilities, Russia and Ukraine have once again engaged in drone attacks. Causing destruction and raising tensions in an already volatile situation. The attacks took place overnight, with Kyiv targeting Moscow and the Kremlin’s forces launching another assault on Ukrainian grain storage depots.
In Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, a three-hour nighttime drone attack occurred, resulting in a blaze at grain facilities. Odesa Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Kiper reported this development on the Telegram messaging app. Ukrainian air defence systems successfully downed nine Shahid drones during this attack. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties. Kiper expressed his concerns, stating that production and transhipment complexes were affected.
This incident comes after Russia’s previous targeting of Odesa. It had severely damaged key parts of the port city’s grain facilities. The drone attacks occurred shortly after Putin terminated the participation Russia in the Ukraine Black Sea Grain Initiative. A wartime deal that enabled Ukraine to export grains to countries facing food shortages.
In retaliation, Russian officials claimed to have downed Ukrainian drones in Moscow and the surrounding region early Wednesday. These drone attacks have become almost a daily occurrence in the Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that one of the drones crashed into a building under construction in Moscow City. A prestigious business complex that had been targeted by drones previously. Several nearby buildings had their windows broken, and emergency services responded promptly. Russia’s Ministry of Defense attributed the attack to Ukraine and claimed that electronic jamming had been used to bring down one of the drones. Two other drones were reportedly shot down by air defence systems in the Mozhaisk and Khimki areas of the Moscow region. Kyiv officials neither confirmed nor denied Ukraine’s involvement in these drone attacks.
The incident briefly led to the closure of Moscow airports, causing disruptions; however, they have since reopened, according to Russian state media.
It is worth noting that Ukraine has been actively seeking to bring the war closer to Russia’s heartland throughout this year. They have been targeting Moscow’s military assets beyond the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine. While also launching drone attacks on Moscow itself. Simultaneously, Kyiv has been exerting diplomatic pressure, securing pledges of additional weaponry from Western allies, including F-16 warplanes.
Meanwhile, the conflict’s toll continues to rise, with three people reported killed in the Belgorod region of Russia near the Ukrainian border. The governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated that a sanatorium in the village of Lavy, approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the border, was shelled. He further explained that “the enemy dropped two grenades from a drone while people were on the street.” These incidents only serve to underscore the increasing complexity and humanitarian impact of the ongoing conflict.