Russia foils Ukrainian drone attacks near Moscow, two airports affected

Russia claimed on Monday (August 21) that it had repelled two Ukrainian drone attacks in the Moscow region and so far no casualties have been reported.

The defence ministry said in a statement that an attempt by Kyiv to carry out an “attack with an aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicle was foiled” around 6:50 am (local time).

It further said that the drone was “suppressed by means of electronic warfare” and crashed in the Pokrovskoye village in the Odintsovo district southwest of the capital.

It added that another “attack by the Kyiv regime” was thwarted in Istra, northwest of Moscow, which took place at 8:16 am (local time).

As per the RIA Novosti news agency, flights from two international airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, were temporarily disrupted and diverted elsewhere.

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In the past few weeks, Russia reported several Ukrainian drone attacks across the country, including in Moscow. Drones were even shot down near the Kremlin in May.

A Ukrainian deputy defence minister said on Monday that the situation in the eastern region of Kharkiv is “difficult” but the forces are repelling Russian attacks. As reported by the news agencies, the official also claimed that Kyiv has re-taken several square kilometres on the eastern front over the past week.

Hanna Maliar told the national television broadcaster: “The situation in the Kupiansk direction is difficult. The enemy is not leaving plans to move forward, the enemy is pulling up additional forces.”

“We are confident in our defenders, but it is very difficult for them there and the enemy is not advancing there,” she said.

Meanwhile, the deputy defence minister claimed that the Ukrainian forces have recaptured a clutch of territory around the eastern war-battered town of Bakhmut but made no major advances on the southern front.

“Another three square kilometres have been liberated (around Bakhmut). In the south, the situation has not undergone significant changes. Our defenders continue to advance in the Berdyansk and Melitopol sectors,” Ganna Malyar told state television.