Moscow and Crimea hit by drones as Russian forces mount attacks on Ukraine's south

A car under the rubble of a building damaged following a missile strike in Odesa. Photo/AFP

Russian authorities accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on Moscow early Monday, with one of the drones falling near the Defence Ministry's main headquarters. The Russian military retaliated by launching new strikes on port infrastructure in southern Ukraine.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that the drone strikes hit two non-residential buildings, causing no casualties. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have jammed both attacking drones, causing them to crash. One drone fell on the Komsomolsky highway near Moscow's center, close to the main Defence Ministry building, while another hit an office building in southern Moscow, causing severe damage.

Ukrainian authorities have not immediately claimed responsibility for the drone attack, but it marked the second such attack on the Russian capital this month. The previous attack on July 4 had seen the Russian military shoot down four of the five drones, while the fifth was jammed and forced to crash.

Additionally, Russian authorities reported a drone attack on an ammunition depot in Crimea, which forced a halt in traffic on a major highway and railway crossing the Black Sea peninsula. The depot's vicinity was evacuated as a precautionary measure, with 11 attacking drones claimed to be shot down or jammed by the military.

In southern Ukraine, Russian forces targeted port infrastructure on the Danube River with exploding drones, injuring four workers and causing damage to a grain hangar and other cargo storage. Ukrainian forces managed to down three of the attacking drones.

Also read: Russian strike on Ukraine's Odesa badly damages landmark Orthodox cathedral; 1 dead, many wounds

The ongoing attacks on critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine have escalated tensions, with the Kremlin justifying them as retribution for a Ukrainian strike on the Kerch Bridge linking Russia with Crimea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the targeting of the Kerch Bridge, citing its use by Russia for military purposes. Amid the attacks, Moscow canceled a landmark grain deal, leading to repeated assaults on Odesa, a crucial hub for grain exports. The recent attack on Odesa caused significant damage to the city's landmarks, including the Transfiguration Cathedral, which is part of Odesa's historic center, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

UNESCO has condemned the attack and will be sending a mission to assess the damage. The Russian military has denied targeting the Transfiguration Cathedral, alleging that a Ukrainian air defense missile was likely responsible. (With inputs from agencies)