Russian officials have stated that more than 620 drones have been launched targeting Moscow, representing a significant escalation in recent weeks and prompting widespread concern regarding the potential for a prolonged conflict within the capital city. The claims, made by Russian authorities, indicate a substantial surge in aerial activity, with the Russian Ministry of Defense asserting that the attacks constitute the largest drone assault on Moscow in the past two years. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that Russian defenses successfully shot down 180 drones over the capital region between Monday evening and 5am (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday, with additional 17 drones subsequently neutralized en route to the capital. He stated that 17 Russian military personnel were injured during the attack, including a 10-year-old girl, according to the Moscow region’s Telegram service. The Russian state-run news agency, TASS, described the barrage as the largest drone attack on Moscow in the past two years, highlighting the significant impact of the assault on the city’s infrastructure and civilian population. The drone attack has resulted in three reported casualties, including a 10-year-old girl, and has caused significant damage to several locations within Moscow, including a house in the Pavlovsky Posad district, where a building was damaged, and a guesthouse in Bogorodsky district. Russia’s e-commerce giant Wildberries has also been targeted, with a warehouse in a western industrial zone of Moscow being damaged, exhibiting signs of debris hitting the building’s exterior wall. Ukrainian forces have reported shooting down or suppressing 111 of 147 ‘enemy’ drone attacks overnight, with the Ukrainian Air Force reporting this as a significant military operation. Kharkiv’s regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported five people, including a nine-year-old boy, injured in an overnight Russian attack on the city of Izyum. Russian authorities reported 79 civilians killed in Ukrainian attacks in July, up from the previous month, representing the highest monthly toll since May 2022. Ukraine has struck multiple Wildberries warehouses in recent weeks, claiming that the company supplies components for Russian drones. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian air force reported shooting down or suppressing 147 ‘enemy’ drone attacks overnight, demonstrating a continued intensity of hostilities. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, characterized by a significant escalation of long-distance attacks, has led to a considerable increase in civilian casualties, with Ukraine reporting a near-constant level of casualties since the start of the war. The United Nations has documented 437 civilians killed in Ukraine during July alone, the highest monthly toll since May 2022, and the Russian government continues to maintain that the attacks are a result of Ukrainian military actions, though independent verification remains challenging. The long-distance attacks are intensifying, and diplomatic talks remain frozen, raising concerns about the potential for further escalation and a humanitarian crisis in the region.” , ] ,
Source: Al Jazeera
