Moscow [Russia], May 31: Russia accuses Ukraine of being behind a drone attack on Moscow on May 30, while Kyiv officials say the city was attacked three times in just 24 hours.
Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking Moscow , Kyiv denies
Russia says all eight Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were shot down in an attack on Moscow on May 30, but Kyiv denies involvement.
RIA Novosti news agency quoted a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that the Ukrainian military used eight UAVs for the attack that took place in the early morning. Three UAVs were suppressed by the Russian electronic warfare force, causing them to lose control and deviate from their intended target. The remaining five UAVs were shot down by Russia in the Moscow region with a Pantsir-S gun and missile system.
The downed UAVs damaged several houses along Leninsky and Profsoyuznaya streets southwest of the Russian capital, RIA said. Another UAV crashed into a building on Atlasova Street in the New Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack wounded two people.
The area southwest of Moscow is home to some of the top figures in Russia's elite, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Reuters. The leader was working in the Kremlin when the attack happened and was informed about the incident, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The Russian Defense Ministry described it as a terrorist attack that the Ukrainian authorities were behind. But MykhailoPodolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky, denied Kyiv's direct involvement, although said Ukraine wanted to see such a scene and predicted more similar attacks.
Kyiv has denied organizing the attack on the Kremlin in early May. However, The New York Times later revealed that US intelligence officials believe Ukraine is involved.
Kyiv attacked again
Earlier on May 30, Ukraine said it had destroyed more than 20 Russian UAVs in an attack on Kyiv before dawn. It was the third attack in 24 hours in the Ukrainian capital, leaving at least one person dead, according to Reuters.
"The attack was huge, coming from different directions, in waves," SerhiyPopko, head of Kyiv's military agency, said on Telegram.
This is the second fatal attack in the Ukrainian capital in May and the 17th attack since the beginning of the month. Preliminary information indicates that the May 30 attack involved only Iranian-made Shahed drones, according to officials in Kyiv.
It was not immediately clear how many drones Russia launched and there was no immediate comment from Moscow on the attack.
The President of Ukraine called on South Korea to provide a defense system
Ukraine is "very hopeful" that South Korea will provide equipment such as air defense systems to counter Russian attacks, according to President VolodymyrZelensky.
In an interview with ChosunIlbo daily, Zelensky expressed gratitude for South Korea's commitment to send demining vehicles and humanitarian aid to Kyiv totaling about $230 million. But he said Ukraine wants South Korea's air defense and early warning system.
"I know there are many restrictions regarding weapons support, but those principles should not apply to defense systems and equipment to protect our assets," the newspaper quoted Zelensky as saying. Report on May 30.
"The air defense system is not a weapon but purely a defensive device. We must have a sky shield to rebuild Ukraine and I very much hope that South Korea will support us in this area. ", said the leader.
As an ally of the United States and a major arms exporter, South Korea has so far ruled out the possibility of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing economic ties with Russia and Moscow's influence over Ukraine. with North Korea, despite pressure from Washington and Europe.
But in an interview with Reuters in April, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeolsignaled the possibility of change, saying that it might be difficult for Seoul to continue with only humanitarian and financial support if Ukraine faces a crisis. large-scale attack on civilians or a "situation that the international community cannot tolerate".
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper