Putin's War Comes Home As Moscow Hit By Drone Attack

One Russian politician says residents of the capital will need to adjust to this new reality’ as president blames terrorism’

- CHRIS STEVENSON

The Kremlin has lashed out at Kyiv in the wake of Moscow being targeted by a large-scale drone attack for the first time since its invasion of Ukraine began.

The incident exposes the extent to which Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine 15 months ago has come home to roost. Residents of some of the capital’s most exclusive neighbourhoods woke to the sound of explosions as Moscow and its outskirts came under attack from the drones, which may have numbered close to 30.

The Russian president appeared on state television to decry the attack, blaming Kyiv for trying to “intimidate Russia, Russian citizens”, and claiming that the attacks were focused on “residential buildings”. Mr Putin also admitted that, while Moscow’s air defence had “worked in a satisfactory way”, it was “clear that our task is to plug the gaps” in the system.

He labelled the drone volley a “terrorist attack” and claimed it was carried out in response to what he described as an attack on a Ukrainian command centre in recent days, but he provided no evidence to support this assertion. “We have spoken about hitting command centres [in Ukraine],” he said. “... In response, the Kyiv regime has chosen a different path.”