Russian dictator Vladimir Putin commented on a May 30 drone attack against Moscow, blaming it on Ukraine and threatening Kyiv with "mirror actions," reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Russian service.
Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, denied Kyiv's involvement in the attack, which reportedly damaged several high-rise buildings in the Russian capital.
Putin called the drone barrage "Kyiv's response" to an alleged Russian strike on Ukraine's military intelligence headquarters. Ukrainian authorities didn't report such an attack.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, eight drones targeted Moscow in the early hours of May 30. Five of them were shot down, and three were suppressed by electronic warfare, which made them deviate from their intended targets, the ministry wrote.
However, Russian media outlets alleged that about 25 drones took part in the attack, and 10 of them were destroyed. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the authenticity of the claim.
On May 3, another drone attack was recorded in Moscow, causing damage to Putin's Kremlin residence. While Russia accused Kyiv of organizing the attack, Ukraine's officials denied responsibility.
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion last February, Russian attacks have regularly hit Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.
Overnight on May 30, Russian troops launched another drone attack against Kyiv Oblast, targeting Ukraine for the 17th time this month.
The attack killed one person and injured nine in the capital as well as wounded four more elsewhere in Kyiv Oblast.
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