‘Ukrainian kamikaze drone’ slams into Moscow in fireball explosion three miles from the Kremlin damaging city’s main exhibition centre

Another suspected Ukrainian kamikaze drone strike sparked a major explosion at Moscow’s main exhibition center.

Russian officials claimed a UAV exploded after being disrupted by air defenses from another target.

The drone hit and damaged the Moscow Expo Center on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, on the edge of the city’s skyscraper zone, which had previously been targeted by Ukraine.

A video from Mash media outlet shows a large explosion and flash as the drone hit the low-rise building located close to the main building of the White House of the Russian government.

All major airports in the city were temporarily closed.

The explosion can be seen on this security camera footage

Damage to the exhibition center was discovered this morning

Office workers stand in a staging area outside an Expocentre building after a drone strike in Moscow on August 18, 2023

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses had “destroyed” the drone and wreckage had fallen causing “no significant damage” to the exhibition pavilion.

But the footage showed a major explosion at the Expo Centre, about a mile from the British Embassy in Moscow.

A wall collapsed at the pavilion.

A resident named Maria said, “We live in the tower opposite, on the 68th floor.

“We heard a bang and saw a flash.

‘At first we thought it had hit the Federation Tower (skyscraper), but it turned out to be the Expo Centre.

“We could see a column of smoke from our windows.”

Another eyewitness said: ‘We were on the dike at the time – we didn’t see the drone itself, but we heard a very loud noise, then smoke came out the other side.’

One resident said: ‘My windows overlooking (the strike) were open.

‘I felt a blast wave – my flat was getting hot. I’m in shock.’

The drone strike led to the temporary closure of Vnukovo International Airport, which is used by Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials, as well as other major airports Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky.

It is the latest example of Putin’s acclaimed air defenses failing to prevent attacks on his capital.

The Expo Center in Moscow

This photo shows the damaged Expocentre building after a drone strike in Moscow on August 18, 2023

The Expocentre building (foreground) can be seen lining residential buildings after a drone strike in Moscow on August 18, 2023. The Russian defense ministry said the air force flew a Ukrainian drone over the capital at about 04:00 (0100 GMT) on August 18 has knocked down.

People and workers line up to enter an Expocentre building after a drone strike in Moscow on August 18, 2023

Russia’s defense ministry described the 4 a.m. drone strike as “another terrorist attack with an unmanned aerial vehicle against targets in Moscow.”

A statement said: ‘The UAV changed its flight trajectory after being hit by air defense weapons and crashed into a non-residential building near Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment in Moscow.

“There were no casualties or fires.”

Reports later said the damage covered some 325 square feet.

Initial reports suggested the drone had come close to the 400-meter Federation Tower, the tallest tower in the Russian capital, part of Moscow City’s business and residential skyscraper zone, a district previously targeted.

Separately, Russia admitted a Ukrainian attack on ships of its Black Sea fleet some 140 miles southwest of Sevastopol naval base in annexed Crimea.

“During the repulsion of the attack, the enemy’s unmanned boat, without reaching the target … was destroyed by fire from the ships of the Black Sea Fleet ships,” a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The incident involved the patrol ships Inquisitive and Vasily Bykov.

Kiev did not immediately comment on the Russian statement.

Russia also said it repelled a Ukrainian drone attack in the Belgorod region.