Drones Massively Attack Moscow: Smoke Rising Over Government Complex

• 18.08.2023, 7:37

The wall of the "Expocentre" collapsed in the Russian capital.

Explosions erupted again in the Russian capital Moscow on the morning of 18 August. Like last time, they were heard near the Moscow City business centre near the Evolution and Federation towers.

As it is known, the offices of three Russian ministries are located there: the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Digitisation.

As Russian Telegram channel Baza writes, a few seconds before the explosion, eyewitnesses saw a drone flying by. A column of smoke can be seen at the site of the explosion.

According to the VChK-OGPU Telegram-channel, the UAV fell on the roof of "Expocentre" in the area of "Moscow City", breaking through the roof.

It is noted that explosions were heard around 04:00 Friday. Russians published videos on which the sounds of drones can be heard.

It was also reported that in the area of the airport "Vnukovo" in Moscow closed the airspace. Departures and arrivals were delayed.

Russian propagandists immediately complained about the UAV attack, saying that one of them hit the Expocentre on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment near Moscow City. A partial collapse of the outer wall in one of the pavilions on an area of about 30 square metres was recorded.

Meanwhile, Muscovites share their impressions.

" It just bombed, the vibration was the same as from a UAV, everyone woke up. We don't know yet which tower it hit. I think they say it was in the Mercury," said an eyewitness.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in Telegram that air defence forces had shot down the drone and its wreckage had fallen into the Expocentre area.

"Tonight a drone was destroyed by air defence forces while attempting to fly over Moscow. The UAV's wreckage fell in the Expocentre zone," he said.

The Russian Defence Ministry traditionally blamed Ukraine for the drone attack on Moscow.