Army soldier figurines are displayed in front of the Ukrainian and Russian flag colors background in this illustration taken, Feb. 13, 2022. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION

RUSSIAN air defenses downed three drones in the Moscow region on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said, in what it called an attempted Ukrainian attack.

The ministry said Russian defenses had used electronic jamming to cause the drones to lose control and crash, without causing any casualties or damage.

Reuters could not independently verify details of the incident or determine who had launched the drones.

Ukraine almost never comments on military operations outside its own borders, but drone attacks on Russian territory — including in Moscow itself, where two reached the Kremlin complex and others struck parts of the city in May — have become an increasingly frequent occurrence.

Moscow regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said two of the drones in Wednesday’s incident were intercepted as they approached military warehouses.

The TASS news agency said they were aimed at the Taman Division of Russia’s Ground Forces which is based in Kalininets, some 60km (37 miles) from the Kremlin.

Separately, the governor of Russian-annexed Crimea reported unspecified damage to the railway network in the eastern town of Feodosia, without stating the cause. He said train traffic had been suspended but would be restored within two hours.

“I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only verified sources of information,” Sergei Aksyonov, the governor, said in a statement.

Self-styled partisan groups have reported frequent attacks on Russian rail infrastructure, sometimes resulting in derailments, during the 16 months since Russia invaded Ukraine. — Reuters