Ukrainian Drone Attack Causes Damage in Russian Town Near Nuclear Power Station and Sparks Air Traffic Chaos in Moscow
A Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian town of Kurchatov causes damage to buildings, prompting calls to expand Moscow's air defences. No casualties reported.
A Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian town of Kurchatov in the Kursk region has caused damage to an administrative and residential building, according to local officials. The attack, which occurred on Friday, involved one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targeting the town, located near the Kursk nuclear power station. Governor Roman Starovoit confirmed that there were no casualties. Additionally, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defences successfully shot down a drone approaching the capital city.
Ukrainian Nazis attacked Kurchatov with drones; the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant is located 4 km from the city.
— Victor vicktop55 (@vicktop55) September 3, 2023
“As a result of an attack by a Ukrainian drone, a fire was detected in a non-residential building in the city of Kurchatov. Firefighters extinguished it. There were no… pic.twitter.com/EtZR07ZBbf
The drone was downed near Lyubertsy, located southeast of Moscow. As a result of the drone sightings, Moscow's three main airports - Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo - temporarily cancelled and rescheduled flights. However, Vnukovo airport resumed operations following the lifting of restrictions related to the attempted drone attack. Moscow Mayor Sobyanin has expressed the need to expand the city's air defences in response to frequent drone attacks on the Russian capital. In recent weeks, new air defence systems have been erected to counter these threats.
Nonetheless, independent observers have cast doubt on official reports suggesting that Ukrainian drones are effectively detected and shot down by Moscow's air defence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Ukrainian forces have developed a new weapon with a target range of 700km (435 miles). In a separate incident, a non-residential building in Kurchatov was set on fire on Sunday in another alleged Ukrainian drone attack.
Governor Starovoit confirmed there were no casualties, and it remains unclear which building was hit. Reports from Ukraine's Babel online outlet suggest that the drone targeted a building belonging to the FSB security service. It is worth noting that a drone attack had previously occurred in Kurchatov on September 1, damaging a building facade. The attack did not affect the nearby nuclear plant, which is one of Russia's largest.