On the morning of May 30, the Russian capital Moscow and surrounding areas became the target of rare attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
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| Moscow and its surrounding areas were targeted by UAV attacks on May 30. (Source: TASS) |
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that some buildings were slightly damaged in the drone attack on the city, but no one was seriously injured. Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports in the Moscow region are operating normally.
According to Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov, several UAVs were shot down as they approached the capital. Residents of Odintsovo, Nemchinovka and Barvikha reported explosions. In addition, witnesses saw UAVs flying from Novaya Riga towards Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack.
“All enemy UAVs were shot down. Three of them were controlled by electronic warfare systems, lost control and deviated from the intended target. Five UAVs were shot down by Pantsir-S air defense missile and artillery systems in the Moscow suburbs,” the ministry said in a statement.
Kiev has yet to respond to the accusations.
Russia Today news agency cited a video of witnesses on the same day saying that one of the UAVs that attacked Moscow was a UJ-22 Airborne. This is a type of attack UAV made in Ukraine.
The UJ-22 Airborne can be used for reconnaissance, cargo transport or as a kamikaze UAV if carrying ammunition or explosives.
This UAV can fly at an altitude of up to 6,000 m at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The maximum operating range is 800 km and is controlled from the ground. The device is equipped with a two-stroke gasoline engine and a classic aerodynamic fuselage.
Meanwhile, according to a Russian military website, the UAVs discovered on Russian territory are small suicide UAVs with an operating range of 300-400 km, nearly the distance from the Ukrainian border to the area where they were seen.
At first glance, these UAVs are small and well-assembled, suggesting that their production did not take place in an underground workshop but rather in large-scale production, possibly in batches. In other words, it could be the result of mass production or a pre-production test run.
These small UAVs are expected to cost only $3,000-$5,000, so they can be produced on a large scale.
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