Moscow Targeted by 73 Ukrainian Drones; Mayor: They Were Shot Down

Sergei Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow, announced that 73 Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian capital were shot down early Tuesday, March 12. According to the Associated Press, this drone attack on Moscow is the largest assault on the Russian capital in recent months. The drone attack occurred while a Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the three-year war with Russia. The Associated Press noted that no immediate comments have been released by Ukrainian officials regarding this attack. Sobyanin stated on his Telegram channel that at least 11 drones were shot down in the Ramensky and Domodedovo areas of Moscow, but he did not specify where the other drones were downed. The Mayor of Moscow only mentioned that the drones were 'flying towards Moscow.' Andrei Vorobyov, the Governor of the Moscow region, also reported that one person was killed and three others were injured as a result of the Ukrainian drone attack. He added that the attack damaged seven apartments in a residential building in the Ramensky area. According to Russian state news agencies, several cars in a parking lot in the Domodedovo area were also destroyed due to this drone attack. The Associated Press also quoted Russian aviation officials stating that flights in and out of four airports were restricted as a result of the Ukrainian drone attack. Flights in and out of several airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions were also temporarily restricted. Local officials reported that train traffic through the Domodedovo railway station was briefly halted. Marco Rubio's meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince in Jeddah; Middle East and Ukraine were the focus of discussions. Rubio expressed hope for the outcomes of his meeting with Ukrainian officials. Zelensky's trip to Saudi Arabia comes ahead of sensitive negotiations with the U.S.