Waiting for the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the drone war is unleashed between Moscow and Kiev, and for the first time even the Russian capital is invested in full. At least eight unmanned aircraft were launched in the early hours of today towards the city, and three hit large residential towers in what Russian authorities called a "terrorist" attack in Kiev. The Ukrainians deny this, as they have done for other previous episodes. But at the same time they declare themselves "pleased to watch and predict an increase in the number of attacks," as presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said. Meanwhile, the Kiev authorities denounce the third night of heavy attacks against the Ukrainian capital, with a toll of at least one dead and 13 wounded. According to the same sources, about 20 Iranian Shahed-136 drones were launched against the city. Almost all of them were shot down, but fragments of one of the aircraft fell on a building in Holosiivskyi district causing a fire.
As for the attacks on Moscow, the Defense Ministry said that five of the drones used - which is not known where they were launched - were destroyed by Pantsir anti-aircraft systems. Three others deviated from their trajectory after being intercepted by electronic defense systems and crashed on large residential buildings in southwestern Moscow: one on Leninsky Prospekt, one on Profsoyuznaya Street and a third on Atlasova Street in the New Moscow suburb outside the capital's large ring road. The mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, spoke of two minor injuries, while one of the residential towers, the one on Profsoyuznaya, was evacuated. Some Telegram channels report a much higher number of drones, while sources of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta claim that two aircraft were shot down in the Rublyovka area, west of the city, where the villas of the political-economic elite are located, not far from the residence of President Vladimr Putin, in Novo Ogaryovo.
ANSA Agency
South Africa to grant diplomatic immunity to Putin - World
South Africa will grant Putin diplomatic immunity to allow him to participate in the summit of the BRICS countries (Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa) scheduled for the end of August in the African country despite the arrest warrant issued in March by the... (ANSA)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian attacks on the Russian region of Belgorod continue, where today the governor denounced a bombing that would have caused deaths and injuries among citizens housed in collection centers after being evacuated from their homes. On May 3, two drones exploded over the Kremlin. Even in that case Kiev had denied any responsibility, but a few days ago American intelligence sources told the New York Times that the Ukrainian secret services were behind the operation. And yesterday the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, had spoken of the latest Russian raids on Kiev to issue a warning: "They will regret it very soon, our response will not be long in coming," he said. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the attacks on Moscow were in retaliation for a bombing carried out by the Russians on a "decision-making center" in Kiev on Sunday.
Putin identified the center as the headquarters of Ukraine's military intelligence services, which he said was hit "two or three days ago." A statement for which it is not possible to have any confirmation from the Ukrainian side. Kiev's goal, Putin said, is indeed "to terrorize the Russians", but above all "to provoke a response from Russia". "We'll see what to do about it," the president added. For its part, the United States - unlike London - has declared that it does not support attacks inside Russia. "We have focused on providing Ukraine with the equipment and training it needs to regain its sovereign territory," a State Department spokesman said. But Moscow does not believe it and accuses the United States and all of NATO of "hypocrisy", reserving "the right to take the strictest measures in response to the terrorist attacks in Kiev", the Foreign Ministry warned. What is certain is that the attacks have had a strong emotional impact on Muscovites and Russians in general, provoking new lunges against military leaders by critics aligned on extremist positions. "Why do you let these drones get to Moscow?" asked Wagner's boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, addressing the defense leadership with the epithet "dirty bastards." While the Chechen commander Ramzan Kadyrov has again called for the introduction of martial law.
ANSA Agency
On Kiev 11 Iskander missiles, 'all shot down by air defense' - World
Ukrainian first lady Zelenska posts a video of children fleeing this morning in Kiev. Sequence of alarms in the Ukrainian capital (ANSA)
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/S7ERVSCT4FUVX6R7TUVBDNTH5Y.jpg)
