Russia finally gets a taste of Ukraine war as drones strike Moscow

On Tuesday morning (May 30), the Russian capital of Moscow encountered a series of drone attacks. According to the state-run news agency RIA-Novosti, an unmanned aerial vehicle targeted the upper levels of a residential high-rise in the southwest area of the city, damaging the building's facade.

Another drone strike hit an apartment on the 14th floor of a residential complex situated on Leninsky Prospekt, a prominent road in the city. The location is close to Vladimir Putin's Novo-Ogaryovo estate, which is the place where the Russian leader frequently resides.

The majority of the drones, however, were negated by the Russian defence systems, said Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein.

Ukrainian drones struck wealthy districts of Moscow, Russia said, while Kyiv was also hit from the air for the third time in 24 hours https://t.co/BoRxKUwYxH 1/5 pic.twitter.com/Q0k4jHMVUL

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 30, 2023

Ukraine's denial

Despite Ukraine's denial of involvement in the attack, Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukrainian presidential adviser emphasized that Russia was experiencing a reciprocal response for its prolonged bombing of Ukrainian cities. He expressed satisfaction at Russia experiencing the consequences of its actions in Ukraine. He stated that Russia was paying for its actions through karma.

The Russian State Duma is beginning to prepare the population for the need for shrinking territory: "drones reach Moscow because our country is too big and difficult to defend." Z-cannibals are frightened and compare the Russian capital to Baghdad: "it's okay, Iraq was also…

— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) May 30, 2023

Reactions from Russia

• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, in a call with reporters, said that Putin received information about the situation. He described the air defence system as working well and claimed that the strikes were a response from the "Kyiv regime" to Russia's effective strikes against key Ukrainian centres. Putin was at the Kremlin when the strikes occurred, he added. The Russians, with their downplayed acknowledgment of the attack, have accused the USA of encouraging the Ukranians.

Kremlin explains why Ukraine launched attack on Moscow

The raid was a response to recent strikes on decision-making centers in Kiev, Dmitry Peskov has said

Read: https://t.co/p2cRY40vPz pic.twitter.com/2I4aqVtb0E

— RT (@RT_com) May 30, 2023

• Wagner Group chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, expressed his outrage against the Russian Ministry of Defense. Earlier, he had a public feud with the military's top brass, accusing them of failing to modernize Russia's drone capabilities and defences.

Wagner boss blasts Russia’s elite following Moscow drone attack
Russian mercenary force boss Yevgeny Prigozhin issued expletive-laden statement criticising failure to protect Moscow.https://t.co/DkilAJny92

— Jerome Chenu (@JrmChenu) May 31, 2023.

Change in pattern, signalling escalation

• The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of occasional shelling and has experienced previous instances of drones breaching security measures around the Kremlin. As Ukrainian attacks intensified recently, reports have emerged of frequent shellings and helicopter attacks by the Ukrainian military along the Russian border.
• Notably, some drones flew over Rublyovka, an affluent suburban area known for housing oligarchs, politicians, and top officials. This attack represents a departure from the typical strikes seen in regions near the Ukrainian border. Unlike symbolic attacks on the Russian state, as witnessed in the unclear drone attack on the Kremlin, these strikes specifically targeted Russia's political and economic elite.

ALSO READ: Russia claims Ukraine tried to kill Putin. 5 other times the Russian Prez escaped assassination

• It would, hence, be interesting to note how Putin explains the drone attacks on Moscow to be a result of the 'special military operations'(not a war) against Ukraine.
• These attacks definitely hinted towards Moscow being dragged to the border.