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IN BRIEF: Air defenses thwart new Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow

It is reported that the drones targeted facilities on the territory of the Moscow Region and New Moscow

© Vitaly Nevar/TASS

MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Five Ukrainian aircraft-type drones were shot down over the New Moscow urban district in the Russian capital on Tuesday morning with no casualties or destruction reported and the operation of Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport was suspended for almost three hours over the incident.

TASS has summarized the latest developments.

Drones over New Moscow

- The drones targeted facilities on the territory of the Moscow Region and New Moscow, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

- Four drones were destroyed by air defense systems and one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was suppressed by electronic warfare capabilities.

- One of the drones fell on the territory of a military facility in Kubinka near Moscow, emergency services told TASS.

- The fragments of one drone crashed onto an outbuilding in a village in New Moscow, causing a fire. The fire was contained, with no injuries reported, emergency services told TASS.

- Emergency services are working at the scene of the drone’s crash.

Comment by Moscow mayor

- Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that "today yet another attempt has been made by Ukrainian drones to attack New Moscow and the Moscow Region."

- There are no victims or injuries and emergency services are working at the scene," Sobyanin stressed.

Security measures at Vnukovo Airport

- Restrictions for incoming flights and departures were introduced at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow’s southwest from 5:10 a.m. Moscow time. The restrictions were extended several times.

- Vnukovo Airport restarted its operations from 8:00 a.m. Moscow time.

- Sixteen flights were redirected from Vnukovo to other Moscow airports.

- Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky Airports operated and continue operating in normal mode.

Russian Foreign Ministry’s reaction

- Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slammed the attempt by Ukrainian drones to attack Russian territory "where civil infrastructure facilities are located, including an airport" as "another act of terrorism committed by Kiev."

- She stressed that the United States, Great Britain and France that are UN Security Council permanent members finance the terrorist regime by supporting Kiev.

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