A central Moscow building has been reportedly hit by a Ukrainian drone, causing an explosion that could be heard across the city’s business district.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claims air defences shot down the drone as its debris fell on the city’s Expo Center, reports the BBC. It is the latest in a series of attacks on the Russia capital.
Footage has emerged on social media that appears to show grey smoke rising into the skyline. However, no official comment has been made from Ukraine.
The attack is believed to have happened at around 1am (4am local time), said defence ministers on Telegram.
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It is said that after the city’s air defence system was activated, the drone “changed its flight path”. It then fell on a non-residential building on the Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, an area of Moscow which hosts a number of government buildings.
No one is believed to have been injured in the attack. The Expo Center is however based less than 5km away from the Kremlin.
It is used for conferences and conventions. The Russian defence ministry ministry said the debris had not caused a fire, while Mr Sobyanin said the drone had caused “no significant damage” to the building.
Russian state-owned news agency Tass said one of the outer walls of the Expo Center had partially collapsed. It claimed the affected area was around 30sqm.
Tass also claimed Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport also closed following the incident, but reopened a short while later.
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Ukraine is said to have launched a number of drone strikes on Moscow in recent months. In May a number of buildings were allegedly damaged from a series of strikes.
While drones crased into a skyscaper a few hundred metres away from the Expo Center last month. A Ukrainian sea drone was also said to have been destroyed just hours before the latest attack.
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