Ukrainian Drones Hit Moscow, White House: It's a War Started by Russia

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. (Wikimedia Commons/The White House)

JAKARTA - The White House has made clear it is not supporting Ukraine to launch an attack inside Russia, after two drones from Kyiv damaged buildings in Moscow on Monday.

"In general, we do not support attacks inside Russia," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a news conference, reported Reuters, July 25.

Russia itself has vowed to retaliate against Ukraine, labeling the two drone attacks, including one close to the Defense Ministry headquarters, as "brazen acts of terror".

"This is a war started by Russia. This is their war," said Jean-Pierre.

"And they can end it at any time by withdrawing troops from Ukraine instead of launching brutal attacks on civilians," he said.

No one was injured in the attack on Moscow, the most high-profile attack since two drones reached the Kremlin in May.

One drone hit a building close to Russia's Defense Ministry, a symbolic blow that underlined the range of such drones, while a senior Ukrainian official said there would be more strikes.

As well as the attack on Moscow, about 17 drones also carried out overnight attacks on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The planes hit an ammunition depot and damaged a residential building, said Russia's appointed head of Crimea.

Separately, Kyiv on Monday said a Russian drone strike destroyed a Ukrainian grain warehouse on the Danube River and injured seven people.

The Kremlin said it would continue what it called "special military operations" in Ukraine. Meanwhile Kyiv and most Western countries say this is a brutal war of conquest.