- Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Moscow’s air defenses have “something to work on.”
- He said this just after Russia’s defense ministry reported that drone attacks had struck the capital.
- Putin said defenses were working fine, but promised to bolster their presence in Moscow.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Moscow’s defenses are working well, but admitted there “is something to work on” after local authorities said a series of drone attacks struck the capital.
“Moscow’s air defense system worked routinely, satisfactory,” he told state media outlet TASS on Tuesday. “Although, there is something to work on.”
At least eight drone attacks were launched at Moscow on Tuesday morning, with some drones striking residential areas and neighborhoods of Russia’s elite, Russia’s defense ministry said. Authorities said the drones inflicted minor damage, and that no one was seriously injured.
Speaking to TASS, Putin promised to boost the number of air defense systems in the city.
“In general, it’s clear what needs to be done to increase the density of the capital’s air defense systems. And we will do just that,” he said.
Anti-air systems have increasingly been installed by the Kremlin in the capital and sites visited by Putin.
In January, footage emerged of Pantsir surface-to-air missile systems being placed on the rooftops of key buildings in Moscow. The same type of system was used to take down several of the drones in Tuesday’s attack, per the defense ministry.
Russia has blamed the drone strikes on Ukraine, with Putin claiming they were Kyiv’s response to a prior Russian attack on a Ukrainian military intelligence headquarters. Ukraine has denied responsibility for the drone strikes.
Putin has since characterized the attack as “terrorist activity” and an attempt to intimidate Russian citizens.
Tuesday’s attack comes just weeks after two drones targeted the Kremlin in a separate strike, though this attempt also yielded minor damage. Ukraine also denied being involved in the attack, though US officials believe Kyiv may have been responsible.
A press representative for Putin’s office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
