Moscow mayor claims air defense prevented drone attack

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Dec. 19 that air defenses near the Russian capital had shot down a drone as it approached the city.

He claimed that there were no casualties or damage as a result.

Earlier in the day, Russian media reported that three drones had been shot down over Kaluga Oblast and another in the skies above Bryansk Oblast.

Three airports that serve Moscow – Domododovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky – were temporarily closed for security reasons.

Russia's Defense Ministry said that the drones were Ukrainian.

Kyiv has repeatedly targeted military infrastructure in Russia and Russian-occupied territories. It does not typically comment on claims of drone strikes within Russia immediately.

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