A series of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacks were recorded in many areas of Russia on the morning of June 8, with the main target being the capital Moscow and neighboring areas.
Russian authorities have accused the UAVs of being launched by Ukraine, although they have not provided specific information about the damage on the ground.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a group of Ukrainian UAVs flew into the capital early in the morning, with Russian air defense forces shot down nine of them. Emergency services were quickly deployed to the locations where the drone debris was discovered, but it is unclear whether there were any damage or casualties.
Due to the risk from UAVs, Russian civil aviation agency Rosaviatsia announced the temporary suspension of flights at Moscow's two major airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, to ensure safety. The flight suspension order was lifted at noon the same day after assessing the situation as stable.
In addition to the capital, many other regions of Russia have also recorded drone attacks from Ukraine. In the Tula region, an attack caused a major fire at the Azot chemical plant, injuring two people. In the Kaluga region, Russian air defense shot down 7 drones. Both areas are near the capital Moscow.
According to the announcement from the Russian Defense Ministry, from 11pm on June 7 to 7:30am on June 8, a total of 61 Ukrainian UAVs were shot down in many areas, including Tula, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orel, Belgorod, Kursk, Moscow and the Crime peninsula. Ukraine has not responded to these allegations.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has lasted for more than 3 years and is currently in a state of conflict. Instead of large-scale campaigns as in the initial phase, the two sides are now mainly using drones, missiles and rocket artillery to conduct mutual response attacks.
