Kremlin says measures being taken against drone attacks

ISTANBUL

Russia on Monday said defense measures were being taken as it claimed to have thwarted drone attacks on Moscow and Crimea.

"You know that today's drones have been neutralized. That is, measures are being taken in this regard," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in a press briefing in Moscow.

He added that the “special military operation” in Ukraine is continuing, and that its objectives “must be achieved."

"In recent days, the intensity of attempts to attack Russian regions with the help of drones has increased. Measures are being taken, very intense and daily, round-the-clock work is being carried out," Peskov said.

He said threats against the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea exist, adding that ensuring its safety “requires the most thorough measures.”

Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said it foiled overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, in which no one was hurt, and on the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014. The Russian-installed head of Crimea said an ammunition depot had been struck and a residential building damaged.

The attacks came a day after Ukraine promised retaliation for Russian strikes on Odesa, which Moscow said were payback for an attack on the Kerch Bridge last week.