‘Were Our Air Defenses Asleep?’ – Russians React to Moscow Drone Attack, TV News Is Silent

News of a Ukrainian drone strike in the heart of Moscow was headline news around the world over the weekend – except in Russia itself. 

Kremlin TV channels largely ignored the drone attack on Sunday, July 30, which resulted in damage to the towers of Moscow City, the country's iconic business district.

According to Russian media outlet Agency, Channel One, one of the major state-run TV networks, was notably silent about the drone attack during its 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. news releases. Instead, the focus was on the Day of the Russian Navy celebrations in St. Petersburg, where President Vladimir Putin participated. 

Similarly, the Rossiya 1 TV channel devoted its only morning news release, which lasted for ten hours, exclusively to the Navy parade in St. Petersburg and President Putin's interactions with journalists after the conclusion of the Russia—Africa summit.

However, there was no chance the strike could have completely escaped the Russian public’s scrupulous attention.

Social media platforms and comment sections on Russian online newspapers exploded with reactions, with thousands of users being outraged but curious at the same time, asking how the drones managed to reach that far inside Russia and strike one of the contemporary symbols of the capital.

"They had to fly 600 km to reach Moscow, and did the air defences sleep all along their way? And as always, 'MINOR destruction and tough response' they [authorities] say, not to mention there will be no retaliation as usual. We should have carried out carpet bombing long ago at the beginning," commented a user under the nickname ok697.

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"The flight of drones was prevented by the Moscow City building. Everything is going according to plan," another sarcastically wrote.

"I do not know what exactly interrupted the flight of drones - air defence missiles, electronic warfare equipment, Moscow City buildings, crooked hands of Ukrainian operators - from a distance of a couple of thousand kilometres, I honestly could not consider, and I do not want to speculate on guesses."

"But I do know for sure that the fact of unhindered flight of several enemy drones to an important business, shopping and residential complex of the Russian capital, one of the symbols and objects of pride of modern Moscow, cannot be considered a successful work of air defense of the heart of the Russian Federation."

The user under the name Denis, as usual, speculated on the topic of harsh retaliatory measures and dreamed of an attack on Kyiv.

"Are we going to tolerate attacks on Moscow and Russia for a long time? Whether anything was actually shot down is unclear, but the damage to the Moscow City building is a fact. Why hasn't Kyiv received an answer yet? Who is so spineless sitting at the top? Let's wait for our September 11th."

A couple of hours later, he wondered why the Ukrainian Military Intel Chief was still alive.

"And why is Budanov still alive? And this whole gang of terrorists?"

Another person wrote: "The explosions on the territory of the Moscow City complex are now called "attack prevention?"

Semen Semenych was somewhat sarcastic, saying another red line was crossed, but it seems like Kremlin is not going to take any measures to prevent such cases in the future.

"Take your time. These are not red lines yet, but yellow lines. We will express serious deep concern and reserve the right [for retaliatory measures]. The main thing is to call it terrorist attacks, but again to refrain from recognising Ukraine as a terrorist state. Otherwise, the business will suffer losses..."

"The SHAME on the current government, it is a SHAME and not the ability to resist anyone and nothing! This is not a war but a theatre."

A group of commentators gathered in the comments section, speculated a conspiracy theory that suggested the drones were not launched from Ukraine but originated from Russian territory.

"These drones are being launched to Moscow from the territory of Russia, the so-called sleeping cells of the Ukronazis, I am absolutely convinced of this. These drones would never have reached Moscow from the territory of Ukraine, and I am convinced of this too. Another question is why our special services cannot detect where these drones are being launched from our territory."

"And where are they launching from, are they not going to look for it? They're not flying from Ukraine, that's for sure."

"I am tormented by vague doubts...aren't the drones being launched from our territory..?"

“I don't believe it!!! This is not ukry (Ukrainian) launched!!! This is either the sleeper cells on the territory of Russia have become more active, or the FSB is doing provocations like with blown-up houses in the 2000s... Save Russia from traitors!!! Punish all the corrupt!!!”

User Alexandr Afman suggested the primary objective of these strikes is political rather than military.

"The purpose of all these UAV strikes at iconic sites in Moscow, Crimea and other places is not military, but political. The goal is to undermine the reputation of the authorities, first of all, the president, to sow discontent and confusion in the minds of the people."

Early Sunday, July 30, three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow in an attack that damaged two office towers and briefly shut an international airport.

While one of the drones was shot down on the city's outskirts, two others were "suppressed by electronic warfare" and smashed into an office complex. No one was injured.