Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine claims responsibility for striking Moscow buildings

Moscow [Russia], July 24 (ANI): Russia condemned the Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and Crimea and vowed retaliation after Kyiv military official claimed the responsibility for the strikes which hit two buildings in Moscow early Monday, CNN reported.
The Russian foreign ministry issued a statement calling on international organizations to condemn the recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and Crimea.
“We regard what happened as another use of terrorist methods by the military-political leadership of Ukraine, intimidation of the civilian population. These attacks had no military meaning,” CNN quoted the foreign ministry as saying in the official statement.
It added, “We strongly condemn this yet another crime of the Kyiv regime. We call on international organizations to give it a proper assessment".
The Russian ministry further blamed the West for exacerbating the situation, alleging that the actions of Kyiv were influenced by the West's focus on further escalating tensions.
“The Russian side reserves the right to take tough retaliatory measures,” the ministry said, adding that the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened criminal cases in response to these incidents, assuring that all those responsible will be identified and brought to justice, CNN reported. 
Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian drones struck two non-residential buildings in Moscow in the early hours of Monday morning and were “suppressed” by defences there, Russian authorities said, describing the incident as a “thwarted” attack, CNN reported. 
Moscow alleged that Ukraine launched 17 drones toward Crimea overnight, and referred to it as a “terrorist attack.”
The ministry said 14 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) "were suppressed by means of radio-electronic warfare". Three of the drones were shot down by Russian air defences, while three fell into the Crimean peninsula and 11 of the drones fell into the Black Sea, CNN quoted the Russian Ministry of Defense as saying.
“There were no casualties,” the MOD added.
A Russian ammunition depot was also hit by the Ukrainian drone attack in Crimea, CNN reported.
A Ukrainian security official claimed Kyiv’s responsibility for the drone strikes that hit the Russian capital of Moscow and Crimea overnight.
“Drones attacked the orc capital and Crimea last night. Electronic warfare and air defence are becoming less and less capable of protecting the occupiers' skies,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, the Ukrainian minister of digital transformation, in a Telegram post on Monday.
“Whatever happens, there will be more of it,” he added.
Russia further claimed that its air defences successfully neutralized all drones that targeted Moscow on Monday.
“All the drones have been neutralized today, and measures are being taken,” Peskov said. “As for the development of the defence system, ensuring its more intensive work, this is a question for the Ministry of Defense," CNN quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. 
Notably, the Ukrainian strikes came after Russian missiles badly damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa.
The Odesa strikes killed at least one person and injured several others, CNN reported citing Ukrainian officials. The attacks also destroyed other historic buildings, Ukraine’s culture ministry said. 
The largest church structure in Odesa is the Transfiguration Cathedral. It was consecrated in 1809 and later demolished in 1936 during the Soviet era. However, when Ukraine became an independent nation, the structure underwent a reconstruction.
Videos circulating on social media revealed the cathedral's interior was filled with debris. According to Ukrainian officials, the patroness of the city's icon had been rescued from the ruins, CNN reported.
The cathedral is located in Odesa's city centre, which UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site in response to the invasion threat from Russia.
The Russian missiles have damaged as many as twenty-five architectural monuments in Odesa, the Ukrainian port city, CNN reported citing a local Ukrainian official.
Odesa is a significant cultural hub with long ties to Russia. Earlier this week, Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles overnight at the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, CNN reported. Russia had cited Ukraine's attack on the Crimea bridge for launching a strike on Odesa. (ANI)