On the night of August 20, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced the largest-ever drone attack on the Russian capital. According to Sobyanin, the attack by Ukraine has raised serious security concerns and increased tensions in the region. Recent events have highlighted the intensity of the conflict and the impact of modern technology on military strategies and national security.
According to ABC News, on the night of August 20, Russian air defense forces shot down at least 10 drones heading toward Moscow and two more on the morning of August 21. Several UAVs were destroyed over the city of Podolsk, about 38 km south of the Kremlin.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced via Telegram at 4:43 a.m. on August 21 that “Russian Defense Ministry air defense systems have repeatedly repelled enemy UAV attacks. This is one of the largest UAV attacks ever on Moscow and we are monitoring the situation.” Although there were no reports of casualties or damage, the total number of UAVs involved in the attack is still unknown.
A Ukrainian UJ-22 fixed-wing UAV (Photo: AFP).
Over the past few months, Ukraine has stepped up airstrikes on Russian territory, targeting key infrastructure in response to Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. The August 20 attack is considered to be larger in scale than the incident in May 2023, when at least eight UAVs were destroyed en route to the capital. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described these attacks as Kiev’s attempt to threaten and provoke Russia.
Ukraine and Russia rarely disclose the number of drones involved in attacks or the extent of damage they cause, unless significant damage to civilian infrastructure or civilian casualties are reported. The attack on Moscow on the night of August 20 was described by Russian officials as part of a larger Ukrainian drone campaign targeting the Bryansk border region in southwestern Russia, where Russian air defense systems destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones.
Two other drones were destroyed in the Tula region, which borders Moscow, according to RIA news agency. Rostov region mayor Vasily Golubev also announced that air defenses shot down a missile fired by Ukraine over the area, but no casualties were reported.
