Russia shoots down two Ukrainian drones near Moscow: defence ministry

Russia said it had shot down two Ukrainian drones near Moscow on Wednesday, one near a major airport to the south of the city and one to the west of the capital.

"An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles was prevented over the territory of the Moscow region," the defence ministry said.

"Two UAVs were destroyed by air defences."

One was shot down near Domodedovo, where one of Russia's biggest international airports is located, and another near the Minsk motorway, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

Drone airstrikes deep inside Russia have increased since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May.

Civilian areas of the capital were hit later in May and a Moscow business district was targeted twice in three days earlier this month.

In recent days, Ukrainian remotely piloted boats, also referred to as drones, have attacked a Russian fuel tanker and a navy base at Russia's Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea.

Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them.

The New York Times reported in May that United States intelligence agencies believed Ukrainian spies or military intelligence were behind the drone strike on the Kremlin.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, sparking a war that has destroyed Ukrainian cities and killed tens of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

Russia has launched thousands of long-range drone strikes on Ukraine throughout the war, often striking civilian targets far from the front. Moscow denies intentionally targeting civilians.

(Reuters)