Ukrainian Drones Visit Moscow Again: Home Delivery of Anxiety

In Moscow, the May holidays are accompanied by anything but fireworks—the capital has once again recorded an attack by Ukrainian drones. According to official data from Russia’s Defense Ministry, the drones were “successfully suppressed,” and an unusually “electronic clarity” has settled over the city’s skies. Residents, however, note that Wi-Fi signals now seem to come only in the form of anxious notifications.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian sources modestly reminded everyone that, unlike Russian meteorological services, their drones are quite good at pinpointing the location of “clouds.” Granted, these clouds aren’t always made of water vapor—sometimes, they’re made of smoke and dust.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin promised that Muscovites have nothing to fear, but just in case, asked people not to park cars under their windows and to refrain from launching quadcopters without approval from the Defense Ministry and their neighbors on the staircase.

While officials report another brilliant victory for air defense systems, residents are sharing life hacks on social media: how to tell where a drone is coming from just by its sound, and why, exactly, every courtyard now has concrete flowerbeds styled to look like air defense systems.

It seems a new tradition is taking shape in Moscow: starting each morning not with coffee, but with a review of what happened in the skies—and, perhaps, signing up for drone piloting classes. Just in case.