A Drone Strikes Building in Moscow

A drone has hit a building in central Moscow that was under construction, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said.

Air defences also shot down two drones in the Mozhaisk and Khimki districts of the Moscow region, the defence ministry added. No casualties were reported.

But in a separate drone attack in Russia’s Belgorod region, three people have been killed, the governor said.

Russian officials have blamed the incidents on Kyiv – but it is not clear who is responsible.

Ukraine does not usually comment on who is behind attacks inside Russian territory. It has made no comment on either incidents.

Following the incident in Russia’s capital, all flights were suspended to and from Moscow’s airports early on Wednesday, but were later turned back to operating normally. The flight suspension measures have been taken repeatedly in recent days.

It was the sixth consecutive night of aerial attacks on the Moscow region, AFP news agency reported.

The drone that hit the building under construction at the Moscow City complex had been suppressed by electronic warfare systems, the defence ministry said. It lost control and collided with the building, it added.

Several windows were smashed in two five-storey buildings opposite and emergency services were inspecting the area, the mayor added.

In response to reports of the downed drones, the US State Department said Washington did not encourage drone attacks in Russia.

US officials added it was up to Ukraine to decide how to defend itself, and that Russia could end the war at any time by withdrawing from its neighbour.

Allegations of drone strikes inside Russia have become increasingly common in recent months.

On Tuesday, Russia’s defence ministry said it had downed two drones over the Moscow region, and two more were intercepted over the Bryansk region near the Ukrainian border.

Mr Sobyanin said Russian air defences had shot down two drones to the west of the capital in the Krasnogorsk and Chastsy districts. No injuries were reported.

The ministry also said a Russian warplane had destroyed a Ukrainian reconnaissance boat in the Black Sea that sailed near Russian gas production facilities on Tuesday.

Ukraine did not claim responsibility any drone incursions on Tuesday – but President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said that attacks on Russian territory are an “inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process”.