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Military vehicles equipped with electronic warfare systems were stationed near the Kremlin in central Moscow earlier today following a wave of mass drone attacks from Ukraine, according to reports by multiple Russian Telegram channels.
Reinforced military posts were set up, including on the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge near the Kremlin, according to the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU. Mobile internet access in the area was also reportedly cut off. Similar vehicles were spotted the day before on the nearby Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge close to Red Square, eyewitnesses told independent publication Novaya Gazeta Europe.
The Kremlin serves as the Russian president’s official residence and also hosts various state functions — including award ceremonies for participants in the invasion of Ukraine.
The video published by VChK-OGPU shows an AMN-2 “Atlet” armored vehicle deployed near the Kremlin, identified by experts at the independent investigative organization Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT). The vehicle, designed to transport personnel and special cargo, can reportedly withstand a mine blast equivalent to six kilograms of TNT.
It is equipped with a “Pecheneg” machine gun mounted on a turret, according to a CIT analyst cited by the investigative publication Agentstvo (lit. “The Agency”). “It’s generally used by special forces, but by 2025 it had become common in other units as well,” the analyst noted.
The analyst pointed out that the vehicle in the footage bears white civilian license plates, rather than black military ones. This suggests it could belong to Russia's National Guard (Rosgvardiya), which operates vehicles with both types of plates, or to another security agency such as the Federal Protective Service (FSO) or the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The vehicle also has a red-blue flashing light, typically used under Russian traffic regulations for escorting convoys. “This beacon indicates the vehicle is normally used for routine purposes like convoy escort,” the CIT expert explained.
However, there are no visible features on the vehicle indicating it is equipped for counter-drone operations. “There are no powerful jamming systems on the roof, no anti-air sights on the machine gun, no anti-drone rifles, not even shotguns,” the expert said. He added that the vehicle’s presence near the Kremlin is “more likely a general security measure.”
“Most likely, this is part of a ‘security theater’ exercise — someone in the security services was ordered to ‘strengthen and deepen’ defenses, and they couldn’t come up with anything better than rolling an armored vehicle through central Moscow,” military analyst Kirill Mikhailov told Agentstvo.
While the vehicle’s machine gun could theoretically be used against drones, it would be a “makeshift measure,” relying on whatever equipment happens to be available, he said. The mounted machine gun is capable of limited anti-air fire, the expert noted.
Ukrainian forces resumed their drone attacks on Moscow during the night of May 21, shortly after President Vladimir Putin rejected a ceasefire proposal.
Over the past two days, drones have launched intense attacks across Russia’s regions, including Moscow and the surrounding Moscow Region. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD), air defense systems downed 105 drones overnight — including 35 over the Moscow Region. In Tula, a drone struck the roof of a residential high-rise, injuring two people.
The MoD reported downing a total of 485 fixed-wing drones over the past two days, with the majority of them being shot down over Orel (135), Kursk (121), Moscow (63), and Bryansk (59) regions.
In response to the attacks, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) imposed temporary restrictions on flights at airports in Moscow, Zhukovsky, Ivanovo, and Samara. As of 11:00 a.m. Moscow time, over 160 flights were delayed at the capital’s airports, Rosaviatsiya confirmed. According to the Telegram channel Mash — which is widely believed to be linked to the Russian authorities — nearly 350 passengers have been stranded for over 24 hours at Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports.
“Airports are the new [oil] refineries. Kyiv has found a new, highly sensitive target… [they] have managed to create serious problems for us, and there are no obvious solutions for how to deal with them,” remarked pro-Kremlin propagandist Oleg Tsaryov.
Authorities are also reportedly jamming mobile communications as a countermeasure to drone threats. Regional governments in Orel, Voronezh, Tula, and Lipetsk have officially announced mobile outages. Similar disruptions were observed in Moscow and the Moscow region ahead of the May 9 Victory Day celebrations.
However, these measures are short-term fixes that are unlikely to stop the drone attacks, according to Conflict Intelligence Team founder Ruslan Leviev, who gave a comment to the independent TV channel Dozhd (TV Rain):
“When mobile communication is disabled, it helps only in that specific moment. As soon as it’s restored, everything returns to normal, and drones can strike again.”