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Drone over Moscow, F-16 approval in Washington
Summary
A look back at two security developments reported around 18 August 2023, one in Moscow and one concerning aid to Ukraine.
What did the security picture look like on 18 August 2023? Two reports, one from Moscow and one from Washington, framed the day.
On 18 August 2023, Russia said Ukraine had launched a drone attack on Moscow that struck a building in the International Business Center. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defences had shot down a drone, with debris falling over the Expocentre.
The day before, on 17 August 2023, the U.S. approved the transfer of F-16 Fighting Falcons to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands. The approval was tied to the completion of training for Ukrainian Air Force pilots.
Two separate reports
The reports concerned different matters: an incident Russia attributed to Ukraine in its capital, and a decision on military aid to Ukraine. Both were reported within a day of each other.
The Moscow account came from Russian statements: Russia attributed the attack to Ukraine, while the mayor described a drone shot down by air defences. The F-16 decision, by contrast, set a condition: the aircraft would move only after pilot training was completed.
