A Ukrainian drone struck a luxury high-rise in western Moscow early on 4 May, blowing out walls and scattering debris across the area, according to city officials and Russian media reports. The attack has provoked new paranoia from Vladimir Putin at the start of a week that will see his annual military Victory Day Parade on Red Square, involving thousands of Russian troops on Saturday to commemorate the end of World War II.
Details of the Strike
The Ukrainian drone hit the 36th floor of the Mosfilmovskaya tower, located in an area dubbed 'Russia's Hollywood', with images showing significant damage in the 1am strike. The building is less than four miles from the Kremlin, with unconfirmed reports saying the complex houses high-ranking members of the Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (SVR) - Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. Debris was left dangling from the luxury apartment building, and the strike comes days before Putin's annual military Victory Day Parade.
Security Concerns
Moscow is said to be riven by fears of an impending attack by Ukraine while rehearsals are underway for the showpiece - with officials fearing an attack on the parade itself during which Putin is due to make a "very important" speech. Snipers and machine gunners have appeared on the towers and ramparts of the Kremlin, which overlooks Red Square, ahead of Putin's big event this weekend, according to VChK-OGPU, a Telegram channel with reported links to the security services, and associated Rucriminal outlet. Armoured vehicles and trucks 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," said the channel. Armed checkpoints have also been established at the entrances to the Russian capital. Moscow has been relatively untouched by Ukrainian strikes over the past year, but there are fears the city will become a target this week.
Political Context
The high-rise is close to a prestigious mansion complex where Putin's security council secretary and ex-Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, are reported to have highly-guarded homes. 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 said it would be "very important".
