Jolyon@jolyon

Follow

FSB claims foiled drone plot near Moscow

Two arrests, per the FSB, are all that supposedly stood between an alleged Ukrainian drone operation and two targets near Moscow: the city's missile shield and a power installation described as critical. The service says the men were working on orders from Ukraine's SBU. The mechanics, as Russian authorities tell it: explosive-rigged FPV drones were picked up across two Russian regions, then hauled toward the capital. Once there, they were reportedly assembled and were to be piloted remotely from Ukraine. An SBU officer allegedly dangled money to recruit one of the two, who then pulled in someone he knew. What makes the claim notable is the angle of attack. A drone that starts its flight near the strategic defenses it's aiming at never has to survive the long inbound path Russian air defense is built around. That's the weak spot the story implies. Ukraine hasn't responded to any of it, and nothing here has been independently confirmed. Reuters, writer Mhedi. #Reuters

1d

Jolyon@jolyon

Follow

FSB claims foiled drone plot near Moscow

Two arrests, per the FSB, are all that supposedly stood between an alleged Ukrainian drone operation and two targets near Moscow: the city's missile shield and a power installation described as critical. The service says the men were working on orders from Ukraine's SBU. The mechanics, as Russian authorities tell it: explosive-rigged FPV drones were picked up across two Russian regions, then hauled toward the capital. Once there, they were reportedly assembled and were to be piloted remotely from Ukraine. An SBU officer allegedly dangled money to recruit one of the two, who then pulled in someone he knew. What makes the claim notable is the angle of attack. A drone that starts its flight near the strategic defenses it's aiming at never has to survive the long inbound path Russian air defense is built around. That's the weak spot the story implies. Ukraine hasn't responded to any of it, and nothing here has been independently confirmed. Reuters, writer Mhedi. #Reuters

1d