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Moscow mayor claims drone shot down outside capital in 'massive' attack attempt

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Moscow mayor claims drone shot down outside capital in 'massive' attack attempt
An emergency worker stands next to a damaged Moscow building following an alleged drone attack on Aug. 23, 2023. (Photo by Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed a drone bound for the city on the night of Aug. 30 amid a "massive" strike on Russia's western regions.

Sobyanin said the drone was shot down over the Ruza district, west of the capital.

No casualties have been reported. According to Sobyanin, emergency services are working at the scene.

Flights in Moscow were temporarily suspended on Aug. 30 due to alleged drone activity.

"An attempt was made tonight to launch a massive drone attack," Sobyanin said, referring to claims of other drone strikes in western Russia the night of Aug. 30.

In Pskov Oblast, near Russia's border with Estonia, Governor Mikhail Vedernikov claimed that drones destroyed four Ilyushin Il-76 airlifters at a military airfield. The airport was shut down following reports of the attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed that drones were shot down over Bryansk, Oryol, Kaluga, and Ryazan Oblasts.

The drone shot down over Bryansk allegedly hit the site of a Kremniy EL microelectronics factory, causing damage.

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Abbey Fenbert

Senior News Editor

Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.

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