Explosions in Moscow: Drone downed near Balashikha, not balloon

On Monday evening in Balashikha near Moscow, explosions were heard. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the Russian air defence system allegedly shot down a small balloon over the territory of the Moscow region. However, city authorities reported it was a drone.

"Around 1 PM Eastern Time, a small balloon was destroyed over the territory of the Moscow region using regular air defence measures," reads the Russian Ministry of Defense communiqué.

Air services also conveyed that airplanes at Moscow airports had to alter their takeoff and landing courses.

Explosions were heard in the city of Balashikha near Moscow. However, the governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, reported that they were caused by a small drone and not a balloon.

The governor reported that the air defence system shot down the drone around 1 PM in the Kuchino district. Fragments fell on a private house.

Vorobyov also stated that residents heard several "booms." Russian propaganda deliberately avoids using the word "explosion;" instead, the reports use the word "chlopok" (boom).

In many recordings shared on Telegram, a drone can be seen moving.

Earlier, Ukrainian drones reportedly attacked facilities in Gelendzhik, located in the Krasnodar territory, near the palace of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"Yesterday evening, the Kyiv regime tried to attack civilian facilities in Gelendzhik with drones. (...) In the village of Krynytsia, the wreckage of one of the drones damaged an unfinished building. A drone hit trees in the village of Dzhankhot, and the fire was extinguished. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties," wrote the governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev.

The Russian Ministry of Defense had earlier reported that, allegedly, four drones were destroyed overnight in the Krasnodar region.