Moscow Reports 613 Inbound Drones as Russia Claims 1,214 Downed Overnight
Moscow reported its third 600-plus drone wave this month, while footage placed smoke over Russia's only maker of a chemical used in body armor, 1,200 kilometers from Ukraine.
Moscow reported its third 600-plus drone wave this month, while footage placed smoke over Russia's only maker of a chemical used in body armor, 1,200 kilometers from Ukraine.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 613 drones flew toward the Moscow region between 20:30 on Oct. 28 and 07:00 on Oct. 29. Air defenses destroyed 231 on the approach to the capital and neutralized most of the rest farther out, he said. Rosaviatsia restricted flights at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky for about two hours. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the mayor's figures, and Kyiv has not commented.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many drones flew at Moscow on Oct. 28-29?
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 613 drones flew toward the Moscow region overnight and that 231 were destroyed approaching the capital. The figures have not been independently verified.
Is 1,214 drones a record?
It exceeds the 1,110 Russia's Defense Ministry reported on Sept. 20, per Anadolu. Al Jazeera cited a separate September claim of more than 1,600 downed, so the record status depends on which Russian figure is used.
What is the Bashkir Soda Company?
A large chemical complex in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan, and Russia's only producer of terephthaloyl chloride, used in aramid fibers for body armor and helmets, according to Kyiv Post. Damage to it has not been confirmed.
Did the attack disrupt flights?
Yes. Rosaviatsia restricted flights at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky for about two hours, Meduza reported.
Has Ukraine commented?
No. Ukraine had not commented on the attacks in Russia, Kyiv Post said.
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Russia's Defense Ministry claimed 1,214 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones destroyed over at least 19 regions. That tops the 1,110 the ministry reported on Sept. 20, Anadolu noted, though Al Jazeera cited a September claim of more than 1,600 downed in an attack on the Moscow region. Sobyanin has now reported at least three waves of 600 or more this month, after 650 on Oct. 6 and over 600 on Oct. 22.
The damage reports came from far east of the capital. In Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan, Mayor Emil Shaimardanov said debris from eight downed drones caused minor damage at an unnamed industrial site that was operating normally. The exiled outlet Astra, working from eyewitness footage, placed smoke over the Bashkir Soda Company, about 1,200 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border, per The Moscow Times. Damage to the plant is unconfirmed.
BSK is Russia's only producer of terephthaloyl chloride, a chemical used to make aramid fibers for body armor, helmets and vehicle protection, Kyiv Post wrote. Astra says the plant sits on the Industry and Trade Ministry's classified registry of defense enterprises. It was also attacked on Aug. 27. In Perm, Governor Dmitry Makhonin acknowledged slight damage at an unnamed industrial facility.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it "very strange" for Kyiv to target Moscow while the city hosts the Russia-Africa summit. Russia sent 112 drones at Ukraine the same night, 40 of them jet-powered. In a preliminary count, Ukraine's Air Force put 97 as shot down or suppressed, with hits at seven locations.
Strikes on defense-sector plants can cut materials the Russian army needs and force Moscow to stretch air defenses far from the front, LIGA.net observed. Both sides head into U.S.-mediated peace talks next month.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.