The Kremlin called on Monday Ukrainian drone strikes an “act of desperation” by Kyiv, whose counter-offensive was “failing”, it claimed.
“It’s obvious the counter-offensive is not successful,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, claiming Ukrainian forces have had “no success” on the battlefield.
“In an act of desperation, the Kyiv regime is resorting to such terrorist strikes,” he said.
Ukraine has recaptured Russian-occupied territory in the south and east, though Zelenskyy previously said progress was not as fast as he would like.
Ukrainian forces are facing solidly entrenched Russian troops that have had months to dig in.
Russia announced on Sunday it had repelled two separate Ukrainian drone attacks overnight, which targeted a major business district in Moscow and annexed Crimea.
No casualties were reported.
Vnukovo International Airport in southwest Moscow was briefly closed on Sunday, reported Russian state news agency TASS. But flights resumed soon after.
Attacks on Moscow and the wider region – some 500 km from the Ukrainian border – have been rare since fighting began in February 2022.
Yet, in recent months, several drones have hit the Russian capital, including one against the Kremlin in May 2023.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the attacks, saying they “would not be possible” without Western aid.
