Officials say 42 UAVs have been downed near the Russian capital, damaging at least three residential buildings

Ukraine has launched another major drone raid on Moscow and suburban areas, with a total of 42 UAVs being shot down overnight across the entire region, local officials have said. The attack damaged buildings and prompted temporary flight suspensions, but no casualties have been reported.

Air defenses intercepted drones across 12 municipalities in the early hours of Wednesday, according to Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov. Three residential houses were damaged in Troitskoye, a village in the Chekhov district south of Moscow, Vorobyov said. Emergency services were working at the scene and residents affected by the attack would receive assistance, he added.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed the drone raid on the Russian capital, which came in several waves starting at around 12:30am.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems had shot down or intercepted a total of 296 fixed-wing drones across Russia between 9pm on Tuesday and 7am on Wednesday.

Russia's aviation regulator said flight operations were temporarily restricted at Moscow's Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo airports, as well as at regional airports in Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, and Yaroslavl, to ensure safety. Restrictions were lifted later in the morning.

In Zelenograd, a district on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, an explosion shattered the windows at Elma Technopark while a nearby car caught fire, according to pictures shared by the Shot Telegram channel. The outlet also posted a video appearing to show the midair destruction of a UAV.

The drone raid was caught on camera in multiple locations, with clips often featuring drones flying at a low altitude and explosions. A video shared by Baza showed residents in Ramenskoye, outside Moscow, taking cover under trees during the attack.

Ukraine has recently significantly intensified its drone raids on civilian infrastructure deep into Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the attacks are being supported by Kiev's sponsors in Europe and are aimed at disrupting the ongoing conflict settlement process. According to the ministry, more than 2,300 drones have been intercepted over the past week, mostly outside the frontline.

Subsequently, Russia has responded with precision strikes targeting exclusively Ukrainian military facilities, including drone production sites, warehouses, airfields, radar stations, and ammunition depots.

(RT.com)