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Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered stepped-up protection at the border after Moscow on Tuesday (February 28) accused Kyiv of launching drones deep into the national territory. While a spate of targeted launches raised questions about Russian defences, officials said no damage or injuries were reported. One of the drones crashed in the Moscow region in what seemed to be an attempt to target civilian infrastructure, the city's governor said. The developments come a week after Ukraine marked one year of war against Russia.  

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While Putin did not refer to any specific strikes, his order is being viewed as a response to the drone launches, according to news agency AP. The strikes were reported on Monday night and Tuesday. The airspace over St Petersburg was temporarily closed amid concerns over an "unidentified" flying object. 

About 100 km from Moscow, near the village of Gubastov, a drone crashed near the gas facility operated by Russian energy giant Gazprom on Tuesday, according to BBC. "There are no casualties or damage on the ground. The FSB [Russian security service] and other competent authorities are investigating," Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov posted on Telegram. 

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Even as there has been no confirmation from Kyiv on the strikes, Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to Ukraine's internal affairs minister, tweeted a photo showing the drone - presumed to be UJ-22 Airborne, a product of Ukrainian manufacturer Ukrjet - at the crash site.

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"Russian media report that an unknown drone was shot down near a Gazprom object in Moscow region. It is more than 500 km away from Russian border with Ukraine. Soon Putin might get very afraid to show himself in public as drones can reach far distances (sic)," he tweeted.   

Russian officials on Tuesday also alleged hacking attempts after some local TV channels aired a missile attack warning. 

(With inputs from agencies) 

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