A Russian Foreign Ministry official compared Moscow’s drone attacks to 9/11

A Russian Foreign Ministry official compared the recent drone attacks on skyscrapers in Moscow to the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers but the remarks were walked back by the Kremlin shortly after. Here’s what was said and why the incident should matter to you. 

While speaking on Soloviev Live television channel, the Director of the Information and Press Department for the Russian Foreign Ministry compared what was happening in Moscow to the 9/11 terrorist attacks that rocked the United States and kicked off the country’s War on Terror. 

"Let’s take a look at another example: the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. It caused an enormous number of casualties but the methods were the same,” Maria Zakharova said on Soloviev Live according to a translation from The Russian News Agency (TASS). 

Zakharova went on to explain that the area of Moscow that was hit with the drone attack was a civilian center, and as such, it only hosted offices and business along with several residential buildings—targets she argued had nothing to do with military operations. 

"We are seeing the same picture now, as if it is repeating itself," Zakharova added in a comment that was clear in its meaning—the drone attacks on Moscow’s city center were not unlike what happened in New York. But what’s been happening in Moscow?

A skyscraper in Moscow’s business district was hit by a drone attack on July 30th that damaged two office buildings a few miles from the Kremlin according to the Associated Press (AP), which added it was the fourth attack of its kind on the capital that month. 

“Ukrainian drones attacked tonight. The facades of two city office towers were slightly damaged. There are no victims or injured,” wrote Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin in a Telegram message that was translated by Politico. 

The 50-story building was evacuated by Russian authorities and videos of the damage as well as the initial blast were quickly posted online by social media users.  

The Russian Defense Ministry said three drones attacked the capital at that time but two were shot down by the country’s air defense. Picture evidence revealed the skyscraper was damaged by the attack, and the AP noted debris had fallen down onto the streets. 

Ukraine didn’t take credit for the drone attack on Moscow but President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia, to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process.”

In the wake of the attack, and the comments from Zakharova, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov was asked if he saw anything in common between what occurred in Moscow and the terrorist attack on New York and he said: “No, it does not,” according to TASS. 

While it may not seem like much, Peskov’s sparse remarks implied that Russian leadership didn’t see the comments made by Zakharova on Soloviev Live as having any merit and it may have been an attempt to walk back language that caused a strong backlash.  

When asked if additional security measures were being put in place to protect Moscow, Peskov commented: "It was true that there’s a danger, it’s self-evident, and measures are being taken,” according to a translation by the independent-Russian news outlet Meduza. 

Peskov was right that there was a danger and the same building was struck by a second drone, and BBC News reported Russia’s Defense Ministry blamed Kyiv for the attack but officials in Ukraine haven’t taken responsibility for the new strike on Moscow. 

BBC News also reported that the city’s mayor said there were no injuries in this second attack while Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it had taken out two other drones elsewhere and claimed to have thwarted a terrorist attack on Moscow. 

"At the moment, experts are assessing the damage and the state of the infrastructure for the safety of people in the building. This will take some time," Darya Levchenko, an advisor to the Economic Minister, explained on Telegram according to a Reuters translation. Will more attacks follow?