Ukraine war comes to Moscow

Ukrainian drones struck wealthy districts of Moscow yesterday, Russia said in what one politician called the most dangerous attack since World War Two, while Kyiv was also hit by air for the third time in 24 hours.

Since Russia sent troops into its neighbour in February last year, the war has largely been fought inside Ukraine, though Moscow has reported some attacks on its territory and said one was an assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin.

Yesterday's early morning raid targeted some of Moscow's wealthiest areas including where Putin and the elite have residences. He was later in the Kremlin and received a briefing on the attack, a spokesman said.

Russia's defence ministry said eight drones sent by Kyiv and targeting civilians were shot down or diverted, though Baza, a Telegram channel with links to the security services, said more than 25 were involved.

Two people were injured while some apartment blocks were briefly evacuated, according to Moscow's mayor. Residents said they heard loud bangs followed by the smell of petrol. Some filmed a drone being shot down and a plume of smoke.

Lawmaker Maxim Ivanov called it the most serious assault on Moscow since the Nazis, saying no Russian could now avoid "the new reality".

Earlier this month, two drones exploded over the Kremlin in an attack Russia also blamed on Kyiv and said was aimed at Putin.

"The sabotage and terrorist attacks of Ukraine will only increase," said another Russian lawmaker, Alexander Khinshtein, who called for a radical strengthening of defences.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak denied Kyiv was directly involved in yesterday's attacks, though he said "we are pleased to watch" and forecast more.

Kyiv said four people died around Ukraine in Russia's latest attacks yesterday, with 34 wounded including two children. In the capital, Ukraine said it shot down more than 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones. Eleven people were hurt.

A 33-year-old woman died on her balcony when debris from a destroyed Russian projectile hit a Kyiv high-rise, officials said. Two upper floors were destroyed with people possibly still under rubble and flames engulfing the top.

Russia has attacked Kyiv 17 times in May with drones or missiles, mostly at night, in an apparent attempt to sap morale. But Ukraine says US-supplied Patriot anti-missile defences are achieving a 100 percent interception rate.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said almost 1.5 million people in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions have now received Russian passports.

Russia claims to have annexed the four regions but its forces do not fully control any of them, and the annexations have not been recognised internationally.

Moscow also annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014.