Recent Ukrainian UAV Incidents In and Around Moscow and Kursk
During the night of Sunday, August 20, an unmanned aerial vehicle described as Ukrainian made an approach toward Moscow. The incident involved electronic warfare equipment that targeted and interfered with the drone as it moved in the direction of the Russian capital. The Russian defense department later reported that air defense systems on duty detected the drone over the Stupinsky district in the Moscow region. The drone was suppressed by electronic warfare, lost control, and ultimately crashed in a sparsely populated area. No casualties or property damage were reported by the department. The department noted the attempt to attack the capital was halted around 04:00 Moscow time.
In a statement delivered through the same channels, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that a Ukrainian drone reportedly tried to fly toward the capital on Sunday night and that air defense forces managed to stop it.
Earlier, the Kursk region governor Roman Starovoit indicated that a Ukrainian drone crashed onto the roof of a train station building in Kursk. It was reported that five people sustained injuries in the incident.
On the night of August 18, Sobyanin had stated that a drone attack as it attempted to reach the city was repelled by air defense forces. The wreckage of the drone reportedly fell in the Expocentre area, with no significant damage to the facility.
Additionally, authorities noted that Russia had recently begun operating a new system designed to suppress unmanned aerial vehicles.