Russia’s envoy to the US has blamed Washington for encouraging Kyiv by publicly ignoring the drone attacks on parts of Moscow.

“What are these attempts to hide behind the phrase that they are ‘gathering information’?” Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the US, said in remarks published on Telegram.

“This is an encouragement for Ukrainian terrorists.”

The White House said it was still gathering information yesterday on the incidents but added that it did not support attacks inside of Russia.

While a Ukrainian presidential aide denied Kyiv was directly involved in the drone attack on Moscow, he said Ukraine was enjoying watching events and forecast more to come.

Russia’s envoy to the US has blamed Washington for encouraging Kyiv by publicly ignoring the drone attacks on parts of Moscow.

“What are these attempts to hide behind the phrase that they are ‘gathering information’?” Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the US, said in remarks published on Telegram.

“This is an encouragement for Ukrainian terrorists.”

The White House said it was still gathering information yesterday on the incidents but added that it did not support attacks inside of Russia.

While a Ukrainian presidential aide denied Kyiv was directly involved in the drone attack on Moscow, he said Ukraine was enjoying watching events and forecast more to come.

Russia’s interior ministry has put two of Ukraine’s top generals on a “wanted list”, the state-run RIA news agency said on Tuesday.

On the list is Commander in Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi and Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces.

The articles they are wanted under have not been specified, RIA reported, citing the ministry’s wanted person database.

Deputy Ukrainian defence minister Hanna Maliar dismissed the listings as a failed attempt to demoralise pro-Kyiv forces.

“Putting psychological pressure on commanders who are fighting against an enemy that significantly outnumbers them in terms of personnel and weaponry is pointless,” she wrote in a Telegram post.

Ukraine and Russia have been urged to safeguard a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, suggesting no agreement is in place to protect it.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi asked both countries to respect five principles to safeguard Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia plant.

Grossi has tried for months to craft an agreement to reduce the risk of a catastrophic nuclear accident from military activity like shelling at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, which is in southern Ukraine and has been occupied by Russia for more than a year.

His five principles included that there should be no attack on or from the plant and that no heavy weapons such as multiple rocket launchers, artillery systems and munitions, and tanks or military personnel be housed there.

Russia’s regular strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are now being met with counter-punches in Russia’s capital city.

After 15 months of Vladimir Putin’s war rhetoric and assurances that his ‘special military operation’ wouldn’t affect them, the conflict has moved into a different phase.

But it is a welcome new element for Kyivans who now know they can play offence and not just defence, writes James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House.

“This will boost Ukrainian morale and sap that of Russia accordingly,” he adds.

A drone attack that targeted Moscow on Tuesday exposed glaring breaches in its air defenses and underlined the capital’s vulnerability as more Russian soil comes under fire amid expectations of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The attack, which lightly damaged three apartment buildings, angered Russia‘s hawks who criticised President Vladimir Putin and the military brass for failing to protect the heart of Kremlin power more than 310 miles from the front line.

Five of the eight drones that took part in the raid were shot down, the Defense Ministry said.

While three others were jammed and forced to veer off course.

The Kremlin has lashed out at Kyiv in the wake of Moscow being targeted by a large-scale drone attack for the first time since its invasion of Ukraine began.

The incident exposes just how far Vladimir Putin‘s decision to invade Ukraine 15 months ago has come home to roost.

The Russian President labelled the drone volley a “terrorist attack” and claimed it was in response to what he described as an attack on a Ukrainian command centre in recent days but provided no evidence.

He appeared on state television to decry the attack, blaming Kyiv for trying to “intimidate Russia, Russian citizens” and claiming that the attacks were focused on “residential buildings”.

Drones have struck both capital cities in the Russia Ukraine war after the conflict reached Moscow.

Vladimir Putin reacted after Moscow was hit with a drone attack for the first time since the war in Ukraine began.

Two have been injured in the Russian capital while one has been reported dead in Kyiv following daylight attacks in the Ukrainian capital on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attacks were meant to scare and that Moscow’s air defences will be bolstered.

Ukraine has denied direct involvement and forecasts more strikes.

The Russian president accused Ukraine, which has denied any involvement in the drone attack, of choosing the path of attempting “to intimidate Russia, Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings”.

Vadym Ivchenko praised Ukraine’s air defence for “doing a great job” in Kyiv after Russia turned its focus back towards the capital.

The Ukrainian MP said their efforts are benefitting “everyone in Kyiv” adding “for the children and for the women, it’s a really tough time”.

Kyiv’s military administration said Monday’s daytime strike was the 16th attack on the capital since the start of May.

The administration said: “In this way, the enemy changed tactics.

“After long, exclusively nocturnal attacks, he struck a peaceful city during the day, when most of the residents were at work and on the streets.”

One person was admitted to hospital after the attacks.

Russia launched 11 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv at around 11.30am local time on Monday, according to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

All the missiles were shot down, the commander said.

Ukrainian MP Vadym Ivchenko said the attack was launched during a two-hour parliamentary plenary session in Kyiv.

He added: “When we heard the alarm, the members of parliament and everybody go to the basement underground just to be safe.

“Of course, they choose the time exactly when we have a plenary session that is just two hours, and they tried to hit the centre of Kyiv with missiles.”