Russia Thwarts Another Drone Attack On Moscow; Zelensky Admits ‘Slow’ Counteroffensive

Russia has announced Wednesday that three drones were sent to the capital of Moscow from Ukraine, but were successfully downed by anti-air measures.

The three drones, which traveled a lengthy distance deep into the country (still somewhat of a rarity amid recent growing cross-border action) were brought down “by electronic warfare” and with no casualties reported, according to TASS.

In a Telegram post, Russia’s Ministry of Defense blasted the “Kyiv regime” for its “unsuccessful attempt at a terrorist attack”.

Two of the drones had approached what Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov described as a local military warehouse and storage area.

In May a major drone attack on the capital damaged residential buildings, sparking fury in the Kremlin. The Kremlin itself had previously come under direct drone attack early that month in what Russian officials dubbed an “assassination attempt” on Putin.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine there are signs the counteroffensive may already be stalling. Zelensky has recently confirmed his forces have undertaken “counteroffensive, defensive actions” across the country.

But in the middle of this week he’s admitted “slower than desired” progress. According to BBC:

President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged battlefield progress has been “slower than desired”, weeks into Ukraine’s military offensive to recapture areas occupied by Russia.

“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not,” he told the BBC. “What’s at stake is people’s lives.”

Ukraine says its counter-offensive has reclaimed eight villages so far in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk to the east.

Mr Zelensky said the military push was not going easily because 200,000 sq km (77,220 sq miles) of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces.

“Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best,” Zelensky added.

This week, new footage showing the sabotaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline has emerged:

⚡️Fresh footage from Nord Stream 2 filmed a few days ago pic.twitter.com/L5YEQ8dKp1

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) June 21, 2023

Some war observers have speculated that the worse that Ukrainian forces perform on the battlefield, the more likely we are to witness stepped-up, increasingly brazen cross-border attacks and covert sabotage operations inside Russian territory and against its infrastructure.