Unlike Ballistic Missiles, Drones Fly Low and Slow Evading Radar

"[Moscow] is rapidly getting used to a full-fledged war, which, in turn, will soon move to the territory of the 'authors of the war' to collect all their debts."

"[The conflict would soon move to the territory of the] authors of the war [and bring] more unidentified drones, more collapse, more civil conflicts, more war."

"Undoubtedly, statements by Russian officials are fictitious and do not contain even a shred of truth." 

"Ukraine has not attacked, is not attacking and will not attack civilian vessels, nor any other civilian objects."

"This is already a kind of genocidal everyday reality... Kryvyi Rih. International law will never work if the aggressor does not see a real power behind it. The power begins with closing the Ukrainian skies with missile defense and air defense systems."

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

 

"Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia -- to its symbolic centres and military bases -- and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 

A view shows an apartment building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine July 31, 2023. Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS

 

On Monday, six people were killed, another 75 wounded as blasts trapped residents beneath rubble as Russian ballistic missiles crashed into an apartment complex and a university building in the Ukrainian central city of Kryvyi Rihon, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown. Part of the building, between the fourth and ninth floors was destroyed, black smoke billowed from corner units. On the tree-lined street, burnt-out cars sat. Over 350 people took part in the rescue operation that destroyed part of the four-storey university building.

This was not the first time Zelenskyy's hometown was hit by Russian missiles; this time it happened a day following the Ukrainian president's declaration that the fighting was drawing closer to Russia itself. With the use of Western allied-supplied weaponry, the Ukrainian counteroffensive is focusing at driving Russian forces out of Ukraine-occupied areas, in intensified forays, where Ukraine has  sought to bring the war into Russia using drones to hit targets in Moscow.

Those stepped-up Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia have become more frequent, with a strike Sunday damaging two office buildings located a few kilometres from the Kremlin, although Ukrainian officials do not acknowledge their hand in the attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in the face of Russian security being tightened in the attack aftermath spoke derisively of the assault as an "act of desperation". That derisive note was altered somewhat a day later when yet another drone attack hit the same building.

That same Moscow highrise, despite tightened Russian security measures was hit a second time within a three-day period, shattering the windows of the 40-storey building housing government ministries. "Several drones were shot down by air defence systems while trying to fly to Moscow. One flew into the same tower in the city as last time", stated Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow's mayor. Russian media reported 150 metres of glass had been shattered in the building.

Located 7.2 kilometres from the Kremlin, IQ-Quarter houses a number of government agencies; headquarters of the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Digital Development and Communications, and Ministry of Industry and Trade. The building is located in Moscow's financial district where Moscow claims it was electronically intercepted, with another two drones shot down by air defences over the region. Vnukovo International Airport saw flights suspended amidst the attacks.

Moscow feels its attacks on civilian buildings in Ukraine to be fully justified and respecting of internationally accepted rules of war, even as it is being condemned universally for deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, a war crime. But Ukraine's resourcefulness in turning the tables and targeting buildings housing government ministries is considered by Moscow to be "terrorist attacks", too ironic for mere words to contemplate the depth of sanctimonious entitlement.

"Let's take a look at another example: the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. It caused an enormous number of casualties but the methods were the same."

"The Moscow city district is a civilian site, which only hosts offices and a business centre ... we are seeing the same picture now, as if it is repeating itself."

Spokesperson, Russian Defence Ministry

"No one raises questions that for the second time in a row, with the successful suppression of the signal ... they crash into the same highrise building", skeptically stated Grey Zone, a Russian Telegram channel with over a half million subscribers, casting doubt on the Kremlin's claim of electronic interceptions of the drone caused the crash. Chief editor of state-funded TV channel RT wrote in a social media post that: "A drone hitting the same tower for the second time in a row, where three federal ministries are located, at least requires explaining the comments that the electronic warfare downed them all."

 

Damage could be seen on the skyscraper's facade  AFP/Reuters

"Depending on where they are launched from, if there is a way to get through the initial line of defences, then there will probably be a very poor ability to track them in real time."

"[The most advanced defence systems around Moscow] are typically optimized for ballistic missile defence and are looking at targets and objects which are coming in at extremely high speeds and from very high angles."

Professor Justin Bronk, expert in military air power and technology, Royal United Services Institute, London