Ukrainian Drone Hits Moscow High-Rise Near Kremlin

A Ukrainian drone struck a luxury residential high-rise in Moscow early Monday, damaging the building’s façade but causing no injuries, Russian officials said. The incident comes days before Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

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The attack was the third consecutive night that drones targeted the Russian capital, increasing tensions ahead of a scaled-down military parade scheduled for Saturday.

Damage in Upscale Moscow District

Footage circulating on social media, which has not been independently verified, appeared to show firefighters entering a heavily damaged apartment filled with dust and debris, with windows blown out by the blast. Separate video clips showed fragments believed to be drone wreckage scattered on a street below.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two additional drones were intercepted before reaching the city. Authorities temporarily halted operations overnight at Vnukovo and Domodedovo international airports as a precaution.

The building that was struck lies in an affluent neighbourhood in south-western Moscow, less than 10km (six miles) from the Kremlin and Red Square, where Victory Day commemorations are due to take place.

Wave of Drone Attacks Across Russia

Russia’s defence ministry said air defences intercepted 117 drones across several regions between Sunday and Monday.

Sixty of those were aimed at the St Petersburg region, where the regional governor, Aleksandr Drodzhenko, described the barrage as a “massive” attack.

Ukraine has repeatedly launched drone strikes deep into Russian territory since Moscow began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. While drones have occasionally reached Moscow, successful hits close to the centre of the capital remain uncommon.

Much of the city is protected by the Pantsir-S air defence system, and most incoming drones are intercepted before causing damage.

Despite this, alerts triggered by drone threats have frequently forced temporary closures of airports around the capital and disrupted flights.

Security Tightened Ahead of Victory Day

Authorities have taken additional security measures ahead of the 9 May celebrations.

The Kremlin said last week that this year’s Victory Day parade in Red Square would be scaled back because of what it described as a “terrorist threat” from Ukraine. For the first time since 2008, the event will not feature armoured vehicles or missile systems.

Russia also announced a unilateral ceasefire on 8 and 9 May to coincide with the commemorations. At the same time, the defence ministry warned it could launch a major retaliatory strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine attempted to disrupt the celebrations.

Russian media reported that several mobile phone operators in Moscow plan to restrict mobile internet access during much of the week for security reasons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Moscow was concerned about the possibility of drone attacks during the parade. “The Kremlin is afraid that drones will fly over Red Square,” he said.

Zelensky also dismissed the proposed one-day ceasefire as “not serious,” adding that Kyiv had not received an official offer. He said Ukraine would instead observe its own ceasefire starting shortly after midnight on the night of 5–6 May.

Wider Strikes Continue

Ukraine has increasingly relied on long-range drones capable of striking targets hundreds of miles from its borders. These attacks often focus on Russian energy infrastructure, including refineries and oil facilities, with the aim of limiting Moscow’s oil production and revenue.

On Sunday, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had struck three Russian oil tankers, a cruise-missile carrier warship and a patrol boat in separate operations at two Russian ports. He said the tankers were part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, used to bypass Western sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to conduct aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian officials said on Monday that a missile strike near Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, killed four people and injured 18 others.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 5 May 2026