Eight drones attacked the capital of Moscow on Tuesday, causing light damage to residential buildings and injuring at least two Russians.
The strike forced Russian President Vladimir Putin to respond to what he called a Ukrainian attempt to “intimidate Russians.”
“This is obviously a clear sign of terrorist activity,” Putin said at a public event.
While Russia has pinned the blame on Ukraine, Kyiv has denied any direct involvement in the attack.
Ukrainian officials typically hint at attacks in Russian territory without taking direct responsibility.
The assault comes after a similar drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month, which was thwarted by Moscow’s air defenses.
Michael Allen, the managing director of defense consulting firm Beacon Global Strategies, said the recent spate of attacks could “shatter the myth” about Russia winning the war.
“This arms any person in the country with the knowledge of, ‘What do you mean, wait a minute, they’re hitting our capital,’” Allen told The Hill. “That’s just a powerful argument that’s been vested in every average Russian.”
The incident is also further angering Putin’s allies in the war in Ukraine, who are raising questions about how the attack occurred in the first place.
Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he was “deeply outraged” by the attack.
“Why the hell do you let these drones fly to Moscow?” the Russian mercenary leader said in an audio message. “You are the Ministry of Defense.”
Attacks on Russian territory also send a message to the Kremlin that Ukraine will retaliate for frequent bombardments on its cities, but striking residential areas — whether deliberate or not — could anger western allies.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak argued it was hypocritical to blame Kyiv for protecting itself because Russia has “been shelling the capital with kamikaze drones and cruise missiles for three days in a row.”
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
