Prohibited arrival: what is known about the UAV attack on Moscow and the Moscow region

The UK has opened a criminal case under the article "Terrorism", the Kremlin calls the Kiev regime the organizer

The UAV attacks on Moscow and the Moscow region were the Kiev regime's "response" to Russia's successful strikes on decision-making facilities, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. At the same time, only civilian objects were hit, the Defense Ministry said. Fortunately, none of the residents of the houses hit by the drones were seriously injured. The UK opened a case under the article "Terrorism". Eyewitnesses from the affected houses told Izvestia that when the UAV hit, the walls "shook" and "smelled of fuel." Izvestia's sources in the operational services believe that Moscow was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles built by order of the Ukrainian GUR. We are talking about cars of the Beaver family. The car was created for strikes deep into the territory of Russia, experts noted.

"The glass fell down"

On the morning of May 30, Moscow and the Moscow region were attacked by drones. Most of them were repelled by air defense systems, but three devices still hit residential buildings. Drones crashed into a high-rise building on Atlasov Street in the settlement of Moskovsky, into the window of a house on Trade Union Street in the South-Western District of Moscow and into the window of a house on Leninsky Prospekt.

Consequences of a UAV attack on a residential building in Moscow, May 30, 2023

Image source: Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, none of the residents were seriously injured. Two people applied for medical help, it was provided on the spot, hospitalization was not required. The buildings hit by the drones received "minor damage". Special services are working at the scene of the emergency. After they finish checking the premises, residents will be able to return to their apartments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Hearing loud sounds similar to explosions, many residents evacuated before the arrival of rescuers, eyewitnesses told the correspondent of Izvestia. In the courtyard of the house on Leninsky, many residents gathered with animals in their arms.

— Everything happened at 4-5 in the morning. My wife and I jumped from the roar, the walls shook, the dog barked. They immediately thought of gas, but then they realized it was a drone," Valentin told Izvestia.

The facade of the building on Leninsky practically did not suffer. The only thing that betrays the recent incident is the broken windows of loggias on several floors. There is a wide cordon around the house, no one is allowed on the territory. Dozens of police officers, firefighters, as well as investigators and Rosgvardiya arrived at the scene.

Consequences of a UAV attack on a residential building in Moscow, May 30, 2023

Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

— We live in the house next door. Early in the morning everything happened, we heard a loud sound. They didn't immediately understand what was going on. In fact, it was supposed to get into our house, it stands right in front of that high-rise building, but it miraculously took away. We looked out and saw a light smoke from the windows, probably it was the 13th or 15th floor. And then a bunch of police cars, tow trucks, firefighters, ambulances. I just now ventured out of the house, and it's very scary," Olga, a local resident, shared with Izvestia.

Another arrival came to the house on Trade Union Street.

French MEP Thierry Mariani

— There was a blow, a pop, glass fell with wings. The tailplane was knocked off under our window, the fragments of the wings sideways [flew]. It can be seen that the drone was large. There was no fire, only the smell of fuel was," an eyewitness told Izvestia.

In the apartment where the drone hit, there was 36-year-old Alexandra F. — she received a superficial wound with broken glasses. Doctors examined the woman on the spot, she did not need hospitalization.

— A woman lives there, she was sleeping at that moment, all in pieces, but miraculously she was not hurt, — an eyewitness shared.

Another point of attack was the settlement of Moskovsky. There, the drone crashed into the window of the 25th floor of the house on Atlasov Street. The facade was slightly burned, the double-glazed windows were crumpled, and the windows on the floor below were broken.

— Early in the morning, around 4 o'clock, a rumble in the apartment, everything shook. We were scared, thought the house was collapsing, ran out into the street. Some woman was screaming," Mikhail, an eyewitness, shared his emotions. — It was lucky that our neighbors from the 25th floor were not at home - the window and the wall were just smashed. Not much, of course, would not have suffered, I think, but still.

The seller of the convenience store Alika added that when the drone hit the building, the sound and rumble reached the nearest buildings.

— We have a small concrete building. Everything buzzed, and the hood began to rattle. There was even a thought that they were bombing. It's still scary," she said in an interview with Izvestia.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

Image source: iz.ru

In the Moscow region, incidents were recorded 500 m from the Ilyinsky highway in Krasnogorsk and in the Odintsovo city district, the Prosecutor General's Office reported. According to the governor of the Moscow region Andrey Vorobyov, several drones were shot down on the approach to the capital.

"This morning, residents of some districts of the Moscow region could hear the sounds of explosions — our air defense is working. I ask residents to remain calm," he said.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Alexey Zhuravlev

Targeting civilian infrastructure

According to the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, the drone attack on Moscow and the Moscow region was Kiev's response to Sunday's effective strikes by the Russian military "on one of the decision-making centers." According to him, the Kremlin believes that the Kiev regime is "certainly" behind these attacks.

Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Image source: iz.ru

Dmitry Peskov also said that the president received "live" information about this from the Ministry of Defense, relevant departments, the Mayor of Moscow, the governor of the Moscow region and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Of the eight Ukrainian drones, three were suppressed by electronic warfare in Moscow, five more were shot down by the Pantsir complex in the Moscow region, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said. According to him, on May 30 in the morning Kiev "carried out a terrorist action in the Moscow region." He stressed that the attack was carried out specifically on "civilian objects".

Russian President Vladimir Putin

The Defense Ministry also reported that during the day strikes were carried out on the central decision-making points, where terrorist acts were planned on the territory of Russia under the guidance of specialists of Western special services, "all designated facilities were hit."

Russian President Vladimir Putin

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under the article "Terrorist attack" on the fact of drone attacks in Moscow, the press service of the department reported on May 30.

Consequences of a UAV attack on a residential building in Moscow, May 30, 2023

Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

"Employees of the investigative bodies of the main investigative department of the IC of Russia in the city of Moscow are also working at the scene of the incident. The persons involved in the crime are being identified," the TFR website says.

Member of the delegation of the European Parliament for Relations with Russia (D-RU), representative from Croatia Ivan Vilibor Sincic

The work of law enforcement and special services is coordinated by the Prosecutor's office, the State Duma of the Russian Federation reported.

The Beavers have arrived

As sources in the operational services told Izvestia, Moscow was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles built by order of the Ukrainian GUR. We are talking about cars of the Beaver family. Earlier, pictures of such devices appeared in the Ukrainian media. But the drones that hit Moscow are distinguished by their large dimensions and useful weight.

The wreckage of a drone at a residential multi-storey building No. 92, bldg. 1, on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow, May 30, 2023

Image source: Photo: TASS/Alexander Shcherbak

According to them, the car is built according to the aerodynamic scheme "duck" and flies due to the internal combustion engine. The bulk of the drones were equipped with shaped charges.

Also, the interlocutors of Izvestia noted that during the flight, the UAVs were not controlled remotely, but went according to the specified coordinates. They adjusted their route according to the signals of satellite navigation systems. Blocks and parts made by Western companies, as well as Chinese components were found in the wreckage of drones.

Almost nothing is known about the Ukrainian UAVs of the Beaver family, said military expert Yuri Lyamin.

— The cars were presented about two or three weeks ago in the Ukrainian media, - the expert explained. — These kamikaze drones are made for the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine. Funds were collected for their construction. Drones are now being bought in large quantities in Ukraine, and money for these purposes comes not only from Western countries, but is also actively collected by volunteers. The UAV itself is built according to the aerodynamic scheme "duck" with a pushing screw, which is located in the rear of the device. A piston engine is installed on it.

Inspection of the wreckage of a drone at the residential multi-storey building No. 92, building 1, on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow, May 30, 2023

Image source: Photo: TASS/Alexander Shcherbak

The car was created for strikes deep into the territory of Russia, the expert noted. The range of the drone was not announced, but if you compare the Beaver with devices of the same class and size, you can say: it will fly several hundred kilometers. The power of the warhead is unknown, but such a drone will definitely lift several kilograms, which is quite a lot, Yuri Lyamin added.

We worked on the material: Yana Sturma, Natalia Smirnova, Alexey Ramm, Roman Kretsul, Bogdan Stepovoy

Izvestia