The hapless Vladimir Putin is seen testing Moscow’s newest commuter train on the same day a Ukrainian drone explodes after hitting a building three miles from the Kremlin
- The drone was shot down by air defenses and caused ‘no significant damage’
It should have been a milestone for Vladimir Putin when he toured a model of a new commuter train coming to Moscow yesterday.
But the Russian president seemed far from impressed as he sat in the shiny new carriage as a kamikaze drone targeted the city and hit a building three miles from the Kremlin.
Putin looked like he was suffering from the blues as he tested the comfort of the train seats with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
The drone hit an exhibition center, with footage showing a flash and explosion as it hit the building. The unmanned craft, believed to be Ukrainian, was shot down by Moscow’s air defenses and caused “no significant damage,” Russian officials say.
But footage from the Moscow Expo Center, used for shows and conferences, shows destruction on an outside wall. A resident named Maria said, “We live in the tower opposite, on the 68th floor. We heard a bang and saw a flash.
The drone hit an exhibition center, with footage showing a flash and explosion as it hit the building
Putin (left) looked like he was suffering from the blues as he tested the comfort of train seats with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin (right)
Vladimir Putin and Sergey Sobyanin toured a model of a new commuter train coming to Moscow
“At first we thought it had hit the Federation Tower (Moscow’s tallest building), but it turned out to be the Expo Center. We could see…smoke coming out of our windows.”
Another resident said, “My windows with a view were open. I felt a blast wave – it got hot in my flat. I’m in shock.’
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the 4am drone strike was “another terrorist attack using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 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 – there were no casualties or fires.’ According to later reports, damage covered 30 square meters of Moscow’s business district.
It came as Russia announced sanctions against the British International Criminal Court prosecutor who sought to arrest Putin.
Members of the British government were also listed by the Foreign Office, which denounced London’s “unwavering military support” for Kiev.
Karim Khan issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March on charges of wrongfully deporting Ukrainian children.
And Culture Minister Lucy Frazer was accused of “actively pushing for Russia’s international sporting isolation” by the country’s foreign ministry. Meanwhile, the US government confirmed it gives its “full support” to sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed the 4am drone strike was “another terrorist attack with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) against targets in Moscow.”
The damaged Expocentre building after a drone attack in Moscow on August 18
Putin and Sobyanin attend a ceremony to launch the line D3 of the Moscow Central Diametres
Another kamikaze drone attack led to a major explosion in Moscow’s main exhibition center and the temporary closure of all major airports in the city
In a letter to the Danish and Dutch governments, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it is crucial that Ukraine can protect itself against Russian attacks.
Mr. Blinken wrote: “I am writing to express the full support of the United States for both the transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine and for the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors.
“It remains crucial that Ukraine can defend itself against continued Russian aggression and violation of its sovereignty.”
The US had been reluctant to provide F-16s for fear of escalating tensions between NATO and Moscow.