Russia Targeted by Over a Hundred Ukrainian Drones, Several Airports Closed
Ukraine launched over a hundred drones at Russian territory from Monday night to Tuesday, targeting Moscow and disrupting operations at several airports, according to Russian authorities, just three days before the anniversary commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany.
As the Russian capital prepares for a major military parade on Friday with President Vladimir Putin and around twenty foreign leaders in attendance, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced that 19 drones aimed at the city were intercepted by air defense systems.
He added that debris fell on a major avenue south of Moscow but did not result in any casualties.
Russian media reported images of a cracked supermarket window and a charred facade of a residential building.
In total, 105 Ukrainian drones targeted Russia overnight, as stated in a release by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Four airports in the capital—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—imposed temporary operational restrictions, with some closing their runways, according to Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation authority.
Operations at several other Russian airports were also temporarily halted, particularly in major Volga cities like Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saratov, and Volgograd.
Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad, was the site of the deadliest battle in history, where the Nazi 6th Army was defeated in 1942-1943, marking a turning point in World War II.
Governors of the southern regions of Voronezh and Penza reported intercepting 18 and 10 Ukrainian drones, respectively, without any casualties.
In the border region of Kursk, a Ukrainian attack injured two teenagers aged 14 and 17 and caused power outages, as reported by interim regional governor Alexander Khinstain.
On Sunday night, Russia announced it had intercepted a drone attack targeting Moscow, which is rarely targeted and where life remains nearly normal despite the large-scale offensive launched by the Russian army in Ukraine since February 2022.
On the Ukrainian side, a Russian drone strike resulted in one death in the Odessa region, according to Governor Oleg Kiper.
Russia has stated that it will observe a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to 10 to coincide with the commemorations of the victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.
Ukraine has not clearly indicated whether it plans to adhere to the truce announced by President Vladimir Putin.