A massive security clampdown has been imposed on Moscow amid renewed paranoia from Vladimir Putin. The move follows an overnight strike on the city's 'Hollywood' district, where an elite high-rise tower on Mosfilmovskaya Street was hit and damaged by a Ukrainian drone.
Drone Strike Targets Intelligence Hub
The attack on the high-rise, rumoured to house key figures in Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, was carried out by an unmanned aircraft that evaded sophisticated air defence systems in the city. The strike occurred at the start of a week that will culminate in Putin's annual military Victory Day Parade on Red Square, involving thousands of Russian troops on Saturday to commemorate the end of World War II.
Heightened Security at the Kremlin
Moscow is gripped by fears that Ukrainian forces could attack rehearsals for the showpiece event, or even the parade itself, during which Putin is expected to deliver a 'very important' speech. Snipers and machine gunners have been positioned on the towers and ramparts of the Kremlin, which overlooks Red Square, according to VChK-OGPU, a Telegram channel with reported links to security services, and the associated Rucriminal outlet. Armoured vehicles and trucks equipped with anti-drone weapons are being deployed at the Kremlin.
'Literally on all the towers, walls, and buildings of the Kremlin, there are soldiers from special units with machine guns, sniper rifles, and special equipment,' the channel reported. Armed checkpoints have been established at the entrances to the Russian capital.
Details of the Drone Strike
The Ukrainian drone struck the 36th floor of the Mosfilmovskaya tower, with videos showing significant damage in the 1am strike. The tower is less than four miles from the Kremlin. Unconfirmed reports suggest the complex houses high-ranking members of the SVR. The high-rise is also close to a prestigious mansion complex where Putin's security council secretary and former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, General Valery Gerasimov, are reported to have highly-guarded homes.
Putin's Victory Day Concerns
Moscow has been relatively untouched by Ukrainian strikes over the past year, but there are fears the city will become a target this week. Putin has floated the idea of a brief ceasefire to cover the parade, but Ukraine wants a longer truce and linked peace talks. So far, no ceasefire is in place. The 'whole world' is waiting to hear Putin's Victory Day speech, said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who described it as 'very important'.
Ukraine's Escalating Drone Campaign
Ukraine launched a wave of drone attacks on targets across Russia on Sunday, hitting the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk and setting it on fire, and striking several vessels, as it steps up attacks on energy infrastructure and other targets. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes had caused significant damage to the oil terminal port. They also hit an oil tanker, a small Russian Karakurt-class missile ship, and a patrol boat in the Baltic Sea.
'Each such result further limits Russia’s war potential,' he wrote. Among numerous reports of other attacks elsewhere in Russia, the governor of the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said a drone had hit a car, killing a 21-year-old man and his father on the spot. Primorsk, one of Russia's largest export gateways, has capacity to handle 1 million barrels per day of oil supply. It has been hit multiple times in recent months as US-brokered talks to end the Ukraine war have stalled.
Zelensky earlier on Sunday said Ukrainian forces also struck two shadow-fleet tankers in waters at the entrance to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. 'These tankers had been actively used to transport oil – not anymore,' Zelensky said on Telegram. 'Ukraine's long-range capabilities will continue to be developed comprehensively – at sea, in the air, and on land.'
