Russian Defense Ministry Reports Ukrainian Drone Attack on Moscow

Russia has blamed Ukraine for a drone attack on Moscow that occurred on Monday morning, August 2. The Russian Defense Ministry described the attacks as 'terrorist.' According to Reuters, the ministry reported on Telegram the 'interception and crash' of two drones. Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, stated that two non-residential buildings were attacked around 4 AM, adding that there were 'no serious damages or casualties.' Russian state news agencies reported that drone debris was found near a building on Komsomolsky Street, located about 2 kilometers from the Defense Ministry's buildings. This attack followed nearly a week of continuous Russian assaults on the southern port city of Odessa in Ukraine, where a missile attack on Sunday resulted in one death and dozens of injuries. The historic Orthodox cathedral also suffered significant damage in these attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had promised to take revenge for this attack, which coincided with the destruction of the cathedral in the city. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine, but in recent months, it has stated that destroying Russian military infrastructure aids Kyiv's counteroffensive. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, calling it a 'special military operation' to disarm its neighbor. This war has so far killed thousands, displaced millions, and turned many cities in eastern and southern Ukraine into rubble. UNESCO condemned the Russian attack on the Orthodox cathedral in Odessa. Britain reported that Russia has achieved minor gains in northern Ukraine. Putin, in a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, stated that Ukraine's counteroffensive has failed. The Russian attacks on the port city of Odessa left one dead. Zelensky and the NATO Secretary-General are negotiating the resumption of the 'grain export agreement.'