MOSCOW, Russia – At least two people were injured on Monday, August 21, when parts of a Ukrainian drone destroyed by Russian air defenses fell on a house in the Moscow region, the regional governor said.

Nearly 50 plane flights in and out of the capital were disrupted after Russia said it jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Ruzsky district west of the capital and destroyed another one in the Istrinsky district nearby.

Arrivals and departures from Moscow’s four main airports – Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky – were restricted, disrupting 45 passenger planes and two cargo planes, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said.

Russian officials have repeatedly cautioned that military drones flying over Moscow – which along with its surrounding region has a population of nearly 22 million people – could cause a major disaster.

Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had downed a drone in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, while the governor of Kaluga region, south of Moscow, said a drone had also been repelled there. No damage was reported in either attack.

Drone air strikes deep inside Russia have increased since two drones were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. Drone strikes on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months.

It is unclear what impact the drone attacks will have on perceptions of the war among the Russian population. Polling indicates support for the Russian military operation in Ukraine remains high, around 75%, though there are questions over how accurate polling is in Russia.

Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them.

– Rappler.com