A view of the damaged building is seen after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, July 24, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

Russia said it had thwarted two Ukrainian drones' "terrorist attack" over Moscow in the early hours of Monday, with one crashing close to the defense ministry in the city center.

The strikes caused no serious damage or casualties, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Telegram Monday.

The Russian Ministry of Defense blamed Ukraine, describing the strike as a "terrorist attack" by Kyiv and that the two drones were "suppressed" and crashed in Moscow.

According to Russia's state TASS news agency, one drone crashed in Komsomolsky Avenue, near the defense ministry, while another drone hit a high-rise business center on Likhacheva Avenue in Moscow

According to Russia's state TASS news agency, one drone crashed in Komsomolsky Avenue, near the defense ministry, while another drone hit a high-rise business center on Likhacheva Avenue in Moscow.

Drone debris was found on Komsomolsky Avenue in Moscow on Monday morning, and traffic on the avenue from the center of Moscow toward the region has been blocked off, the Department of Transportation and Road Infrastructure Development of Moscow said.

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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the drone attack in the capital was an act of international terrorism.

A view of the damaged building (right) is shown after a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, on July 24, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

Moscow and its environs lie around 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border but have been hit by several drone attacks this year, with one hitting the Kremlin in May.

Earlier this month, Russia said it "destroyed or neutralized" five Ukrainian drones in what it described as a "terrorist" attack.

The Russian Ministry of Defense also accused Ukraine of having launched 17 drones toward Crimea overnight, referring to strikes on the peninsula as a "terrorist attack".

Rail traffic suspended

Earlier on Monday, Crimea Governor Sergey Aksyonov said an ammunition depot and a house had been destroyed in the strikes. He also said road and rail traffic had been suspended in certain areas of the peninsula.

In a separate statement, the Ukrainian Army said Russian drones attacked Ukraine's port infrastructure on the Danube River overnight, targeting Ukrainian grain stocks.

The attack was carried out by Iranian-made Shahed drones and lasted for four hours, Ukraine's Southern Operational Command posted on Facebook.

The statement added that three drones were destroyed by Ukrainian air defense forces, although "some got through", according to a separate statement by Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Odesa regional military administration.

In a separate statement, the Ukrainian Army said Russian drones attacked Ukraine's port infrastructure on the Danube River overnight, targeting Ukrainian grain stocks

In an article on the Kremlin's website, Moscow said it withdrew from a vital Black Sea grain deal intended to stabilize global food prices and bring relief to developing countries because it "failed" to ensure the delivery of grain.

"The continuation of the 'grain deal' — which did not justify its humanitarian purpose — has lost its meaning," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

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"Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilizers and other goods to Africa," Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin's website.

"I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis."

Claiming that Russia's conditions for the extension had been ignored, Moscow last week quit the deal which had allowed Ukraine a year ago to export grain from its Black Sea ports, despite the conflict, to alleviate a global food crisis.

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Writing ahead of the second Russia-Africa summit that will take place in St. Petersburg on Thursday and Friday, Putin said Russia expects a record harvest this year.

"I want to assure that our country is able to replace Ukrainian grain both commercially and free of charge, especially since we again expect a record harvest this year," Putin said.

Meanwhile, Russia's Investigative Committee said on Sunday it had launched a criminal probe into the killing of a Russian reporter.

Agencies contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at renqi@chinadaily.com.cn