Russia has claimed that its air defense system shot down 808 Ukrainian drones overnight, as a munitions factory near Moscow was apparently targeted in a major blow to its air defense capability.
Airports Closed as Moscow Shot Down Hundreds of Drones, Mayor Claims
Lancet Drone. Image Credit: Russian State Media.
Lancet Drone from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that 163 drones were brought down by air defense systems near Moscow.
Two people were reportedly injured in the Voronovo settlement after emergency services had responded to reports of drone impacts.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, in its turn, reported that “During the past night from 8:00 PM on October 21 to 8:00 AM on October 22, air defense duty forces destroyed 808 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over various regions.”
Moscow’s airports closed briefly for safety reasons while the attack was ongoing.
In Serpukhov, south of Moscow, residents shared video footage of a building burning after what appeared to be an explosion.
According to independent Russian outlet Astra, experts analyzed the footage and identified the site as the 75th Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Kyiv Post reported that residents heard explosions and that three missiles had hit the area.
It is unclear what was damaged or what kind of missiles were used.
Ukraine has not yet commented on the alleged attack.
Major Russian Warehouse May Have Been Hit
The 75th Arsenal is not just another arms warehouse, as it houses sophisticated anti-aircraft systems.
According to a November 2022 press release from Rostec, a Russian state-owned defense giant, the enterprise is restoring the operational capability of stationary Buk-M1 and Buk-M2 air defense missile systems, as well as S-300V launch vehicles.
It also said repairs to military equipment participating in the so-called “special operation” were underway across all nine workshops.
Drones attacked other regions, damaging homes and a clinic.
In Lipetsk, some 20 drones were reportedly brought down in an attack, and one person was injured.
Artamonov noted that residential buildings were damaged, but he dismissed “reports of dozens of people killed and large-scale destruction” as fake.
A clinic on Merkulova Street was also damaged, although it was empty.
In the Tula region, 70 drones were shot down, Tula Governor Dmitry Milyaev announced.
There were no casualties, but private buildings were damaged in the Zaoksky district and the city of Tula.
In Voronezh, Alexander Gusev, the governor of the Voronezh region, said 44 drones were intercepted.
He wrote on his Telegram channel that roofs and facades of houses, as well as a public building and cars, were damaged.
He said the power supply to some areas was also disrupted, although there were no casualties.
Kyiv Under Ballistic Missile Fire
The attack on Russia happened as Ukraine marked another attack: overnight, Russian forces fired 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv in three salvoes, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in his nightly address to the nation.
“Three waves of ballistic missiles have been launched at Kyiv by Russian ‘humanitarians’ since yesterday evening. They used 21 missiles,” Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook, citing an open-source report by Reuters news agency.
“Today, 34 people were injured in attacks on 12 regions of Ukraine,” he added, noting that five of them were children. According to The Moscow Times, seven people in Ukraine were killed in the attacks.
Tonight, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like,” said Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. “Appeasement, servility, and flattery will not stop the war. Only strength will.”
The confrontations occurred as U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where the two sides discussed resuming peace talks.
Ukraine Needs More Interceptors
Zelenskyy proposed to halt attacks on Russia’s oil refineries for a month in return for American support in the replenishment of Patriot missiles, after warning that its supply from the US is running low.
“We could pause strikes on Russian oil refineries for 30 days, and in return, we would expect America to help us defend the sky for 30 days – only 30 days – specifically with Patriot interceptors.”
“That, I believe, would be fair, but unfortunately, we have not heard any offers to help with that option, either,” Zelenskyy said, according to the Kyiv Post.
Whatever decision is made, Kyiv likely faces a difficult winter.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
