Drone Attack Causes Damage to Building in Central Moscow

Russian officials have stated that a Ukrainian drone attack caused damage to a building in central Moscow early on Friday, resulting in an explosion heard throughout the business district of the Russian capital. A witness from Reuters in the area reported hearing a "strong explosion." Images showed workers and emergency teams inspecting the damage to the roof of a non-residential building that was struck by the drone. The Ministry of Defense and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed that there were no injuries from the drone crash at the Expo Center complex. The Ministry of Defense stated, "Around four a.m. Moscow time, the Kyiv regime launched another terrorist attack using a drone against targets in Moscow and the Moscow region." No comments have been made by Kyiv so far. Air traffic was briefly halted at four major airports in the capital: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky. The airports later reopened. The Russian air transport agency indicated that seven flights were redirected to alternative airports. The Expo Center is a large building used for hosting large exhibitions and is located less than five kilometers from the Kremlin. A video shared by Russian media showed thick smoke rising near skyscrapers.