A Russian official has accused the United States of encouraging Ukraine to carry out cross-border “terrorist” attacks after Russia was targeted by drone strikes.
The White House responded by stating that it does not support attacks on Russia and is currently gathering information about the incident.
![Investigators inspect a building after a drone attacked the apartment in Moscow on Tuesday [AP Photo]](https://tadexprof.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/MoscowDrone-1685516804-300x200.webp "Russia accuses US of ‘encouraging terrorists’ after Moscow strike 2")
Russia has long claimed that the “collective West” is waging a proxy war against Moscow by supporting Ukraine with military and financial aid.
President Vladimir Putin referred to the assault as a “terrorist act,” while Ukraine has accused Russia of terrorism for its bombing of Ukrainian civilians, which Moscow denies.
Although a Ukrainian presidential aide denied direct involvement in the drone attack on Moscow, they expressed satisfaction in watching the events unfold and predicted more attacks in the future.
The drone attack exposed weaknesses in Moscow’s air defenses and highlighted the vulnerability of the capital city. Analysts explained that Russian air defenses are primarily focused on countering more sophisticated weapons such as missiles and aircraft, leaving them less prepared for low-flying, short-range drones.
It is expected that the Russian military will redeploy some air assets from the front line to protect Moscow, potentially weakening their forces against a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The attack, which caused minor damage to three apartment buildings and injured two people, angered hardliners in Russia who criticized the military leadership for failing to protect the capital, located over 500km (310 miles) away from the Ukrainian front line.
President Putin characterized the attack as an attempt by Ukraine to intimidate Moscow’s residents. While acknowledging that Moscow’s air defenses performed as expected, he admitted the challenges of protecting a large city and pledged to strengthen air defenses.
Military experts noted that the drones used in the attack were relatively basic and inexpensive but had a range of up to 1,000km (620 miles), leading to predictions of further attacks in the future.
