Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin attends a meeting chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of unmanned aircraft, at the Rudnyovo industrial park in Moscow, Russia April 27, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS/file photo
(Reuters) - Russia said it shot down a Ukrainian drone flying towards Moscow in the early hours of Monday in an incident that once again briefly disrupted flights over the capital.
Authorities have reported more than a dozen attempted drone attacks on Moscow within the past month, a number of which have forced temporary airport closures.
The drones appear to be probing Moscow's air defences from different angles, with Monday's brought down in the Lyubertsy region to the southeast of the capital, according to the defence ministry.
State aviation agency Rosaviatsia said three airports temporarily restricted flights but later returned to normal operation.
Moscow reported the first drone attacks on the capital in early May, when two were fired at the Kremlin without causing damage. Since then they have become a frequent occurrence.
Most have been intercepted by Russian air defences, but several have hit buildings in a business district of the capital.
Ukraine hardly ever takes responsibility for strikes on Russian territory, though officials have often expressed satisfaction over them.
(Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
