Drones strike Moscow in first attack on Russian capital’s residential areas since Ukraine war began

Moscow was hit by drones Tuesday morning, in what appeared to be the first attack on residential areas of the Russian capital since the invasion of Ukraine and a dramatic display that the Kremlin's war was increasingly coming home.

The incident caused damage to some buildings and forced residents to evacuate homes, local officials said.

It comes weeks after an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin itself and following days of deadly Russian bombardment against civilians in Kyiv, as events far from the front lines take the spotlight ahead of Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that eight unmanned aerial vehicles were involved in the strikes on Moscow. All drones were destroyed, it added, with three losing control after being jammed and the other five shot down by anti-aircraft systems.

The ministry blamed Ukraine for what it called a “terrorist attack.”

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview that his country "has nothing directly to do" with the drone attacks on Moscow but was "pleased to observe and predict an increase in the number of attacks."