Drone attacks hit Moscow, stirring fury at the Kremlin

Al Jazeera ^ | 30 May 2023 | Staff

[Red Badger]

Two are injured in a rare attack on Moscow as more heavy Russian raids target Kyiv, killing at least one person.

A view shows a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

A multi-storey apartment block damaged during a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on May 30, 2023 [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters] Published On 30 May 2023 30 May 2023 Correction30 May 2023 An earlier version of this article stated that Moscow is more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from Ukraine. This was incorrect. Moscow is a few hundred kilometres from the Ukraine border. Drones struck Moscow on Tuesday but were neutralised, Russia said, in what one politician called the worst attack on the capital since World War II, while Kyiv was also hit from the air for the third time in 24 hours.

Since Russia invaded its neighbour in February last year, the war has largely been fought inside Ukraine, though Moscow has reported some attacks on its territory and blamed them on Ukraine, including an alleged assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two people were injured, but not seriously, while some residents in two lightly damaged apartment blocks were briefly evacuated.

Russia’s defence ministry said eight drones sent by Kyiv were shot down or diverted, though Baza, a Telegram channel with links to the security services, said more than 25 were involved.

Residents in southwestern Moscow said they heard loud bangs followed by the smell of petrol at about 5am to 6am local time [02:00 to 03:00 GMT]. Some filmed a drone being shot down and a plume of smoke rising over the Moscow skyline.

Politician Maxim Ivanov termed it the most serious assault on Moscow since the Nazis, saying no citizen could now avoid “the new reality”.

“You will either defeat the enemy as a single fist with our Motherland, or the indelible shame of cowardice, collaboration and betrayal will engulf your family,” he said.

Two weeks ago, two drones exploded over the Kremlin in an attack Russia also blamed on Kyiv and said was aimed at Putin.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak denied Kyiv was directly involved in targeting Moscow on Tuesday, though he said “we are pleased to watch” and forecast more to come.

Russia’s defence ministry cast the assault as a “terrorist drone attack” launched by the “Kyiv regime”.

Investigators gather evidence while working outside a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Investigators gather evidence while working outside a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on May 30, 2023 [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters] In Kyiv, Ukrainian defence forces said they shot down more than 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones on Tuesday.

One person died – reportedly a 30-year-old woman, and four were injured when debris from a destroyed Russian projectile hit a high-rise apartment building causing a fire, Ukrainian officials said. Two upper floors were destroyed with people possibly still under rubble.

Photos from Kyiv officials showed flames engulfing the top of the building.

“The attack was massive, came from different directions, in several waves,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration.

Russia has attacked Kyiv 17 times in May with drones or missiles, mostly at night, in an apparent attempt to undermine Ukrainians’ will to fight after more than 15 months of war.

Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Kyiv, said: “Where I am right now is an apartment block that was hit, the top two floors pretty much nearly destroyed.

“At the foot of this apartment block is a cleanup process. People are inspecting their cars that are damaged, trying to absorb what has happened. They are looking up at the top of the building, the windows are nearly blown up. A lot of [residents] are going to have to leave this building with their suitcases, their pets. Some of them are saying they don’t want to leave, they’re happy they have survived.

“This is the worst nightmare for people here in Kyiv. These attacks have been going on night after night now. This is the third consecutive attack now. People are not sleeping. But every night, when they do go to sleep, they hear those sirens, they hear the explosions and they just don’t know what will happen.”

In Moscow, journalist Yulia Shapovalova, said there was a sense of “calm” in the capital despite the attacks.

“Moscow is buzzing as usual now. People are going to work, public transport is functioning normally, it seems like nothing happened.

“People on the street are very calm, but I should tell you many people in Russia sincerely believe the information they regularly hear on TV, that the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine have been inevitable and that President [Vladimir] Putin, as a great strategist, began it first on foreign soil.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

[Boogieman]

“I will reply where ever and however I want”

Then you’ll just get ignored.

[woodpusher]

Iran inavded American soil (an embassy)

That was the same embassy from which the United States orchestrated one of the overthrows of the Iranian elected government in 1953 in favor of the Shah. That was about oil.

[woodpusher]

rogue nations and intelligence operations

We have 17 such intelligence agencies at home, meddling with our elections, to worry about.

[woodpusher]

Pointed nuclear weapons at me and my family and repeatedly threatened to kill every one I know.

The United States maintains nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, and on its naval ships.

A nuclear war would seriously adversely affect everyone you know or don't know. The result is mutually assured destruction.

[kaktuskid]

Mosadegh was an avowed Communist.

[woodpusher]

Mosadegh was an avowed Communist.

He could have been the son of Satan and that would not give the USA and UK the right to overthrow the elected government of Iran.

As with war, "regime change" is about power and money, not some higher moral purpose. The overthrow stemmed from Mosaddegh's insistence on auditing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC).

[Eleutheria5]

Why would Russians kill Russians with their own drone? It damaged a building. BFD.

[Eleutheria5]

Five decades of drawn aggers not enough for you? How about Vietnam? They give you a few rubles and a bottle of Vodka, and you’re happy.

[Bulwyf]

Mother in law is Russian. It’s interesting to hear what they were told as kids. They were told the same thing I was told in the 80s. The Russians are coming to take over and enslave us. Only they were told it was the Americans coming. It’s almost as if some group behind the scenes is manipulating media and wars and economies to drive things in their image. Imagine that. A group of elites if you will with global plans. Pretty far fetched? Heh. Sarcasm.

[dfwgator]

Only they were told it was the Americans coming. It’s almost as if some group behind the scenes is manipulating media and wars and economies to drive things in their image.

And then Reagan toured Russia after his Presidency, and they saw him up close and personal and saw he was nothing like the propaganda said he was. In fact Reagan is still highly respected in Russia today.

[BobL]

I believe the issue we had was with the Soviets.

[BobL]

“Other than killing American soldiers in Korea and Viet Nam? Other than financially supporting Bader Meinhoff and dozens of other terrorist groups the world over? Other than financially supporting several domestic terrorist groups like the SLA?

Why, other than that not much at all.”

Our problem during Korea and Vietnam was another country. As to Domestic Terrorism, we have a LOT MORE to worry about regarding a government that looks at moms not wanting their kids groomed as ‘terrorists’.

[BobL]

“A nuclear war would seriously adversely affect everyone you know or don’t know. The result is mutually assured destruction.”

Obviously I agree with you, but not so sure regarding the people running the West. The leaders of the past, yep, they got it, which is why they answered the phone when the Soviets called. This bunch doesn’t answer the phone.

[BobL]

“Five decades of drawn aggers not enough for you? How about Vietnam?”

So your gripe is with another country. Got it.

[BobL]

“Only they were told it was the Americans coming.”

Kind of tough to deny that now, with the US dangling NATO in front of Ukraine.

[Eleutheria5]

No, it’s with you for imagining that everything is donkey-horey with America and Russia. As for issues with individual Russians, there’s my drunken Russian neighbor, there’s the Russian I was once in partnership with, etc. Also the fact that Putin overpays you.

[Bulwyf]

I think we’d have far more in common than people would think.

[xkaydet65]

And you think it’s different now. Putin was and is a Soviet. He is the first leader in Moscow since Stalin to have total power. Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov and Gorby all had to deal with their Politburo. Putin has no such restraint in his quest to resurrect the borders of the USSR.

[BobL]

“He is the first leader in Moscow since Stalin to have total power.”

Link please.

“Putin has no such restraint in his quest to resurrect the borders of the USSR.”

Link please.

[xkaydet65]

Anyone with even a cursory knowlefge of Soviet leadership knows the reality of the first statement.
As for the second statement, even Barky knew the truth about Putin’s power when he told supposed Pres Medvedev “ Tell Vladimir that I’ll have more flexibility after the election.”