A Ukrainian drone has struck an upscale residential high-rise building in Moscow in the early hours of Monday, damaging the building’s exterior but causing no reported casualties.
The incident marks the third consecutive night that Russia’s capital has come under drone attack, coming just days ahead of the country’s Victory Day celebrations commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany.
Unverified footage circulating on social media showed significant damage inside an apartment, with shattered windows and debris scattered across rooms, while other clips showed wreckage on the street below the building.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that two additional drones were intercepted, while airports including Vnukovo and Domodedovo temporarily suspended operations overnight due to security concerns.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, a total of 117 drones were intercepted across several regions between Sunday and Monday, with around 60 targeting the St Petersburg region in what officials described as a large-scale attack.
The building hit is located in a high-end district in south-west Moscow, less than 10 kilometres from key government landmarks including the Kremlin and Red Square, where Victory Day events are scheduled to take place.
Drone activity has become increasingly frequent in Moscow since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022, although successful strikes close to the city centre remain relatively uncommon due to strong air defence systems.
In response to rising security concerns ahead of the May 9 celebrations, the Kremlin has reportedly scaled down its annual military parade, citing what it described as a “terrorist threat” from Ukraine, and has also restricted certain mobile internet services in the capital for security reasons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that continued drone activity reflects ongoing pressure on Russia, while also dismissing proposed short-term ceasefire arrangements as unserious.
The conflict continues to escalate on both sides, with Russia carrying out regular aerial strikes on Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine intensifies long-range drone operations targeting infrastructure and military-linked assets inside Russian territory.
