Authorities reported that all four major airports in Moscow were temporarily shut down due to Ukraine launching over 230 drones this past weekend.
As a result of the Ukrainian counteroffensive that began Saturday morning, around 140 flights were cancelled throughout Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated.
The Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) noted that the capital’s airports faced closure 10 times within a 24-hour period due to drone activity.
Kalga International Airport, located to the southwest of Moscow, experienced a temporary shutdown after 45 drones were intercepted in the vicinity.
This weekend’s developments echoed the widespread airport closures from May, where drone-related incidents left over 60,000 passengers stranded across the country, as reported.
Ukraine has pledged to increase its drone operations against Russia to counter ongoing attacks from the Kremlin, which have led to numerous civilian casualties recently.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense indicated that drones were intercepted along areas near Ukraine, including regions like Rostov and Briansk, with no reported casualties.
Regional sources mentioned that Ukrainian assaults launched over 300 drones into Russia, resulting in two deaths, including a 78-year-old woman in Donetsk.
The latest wave of attacks occurred early Sunday, involving 57 drones targeting multiple regions including Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia, which are currently significant conflict zones.
In the midst of these drone exchanges, Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for face-to-face talks aimed at negotiating a ceasefire.
“To genuinely achieve peace, we need discussions at the leadership level,” Zelensky remarked.
Reports suggest that while Putin is open to pursuing peace with Ukraine, it would only be under conditions that align with “our goals,” as stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Putin has previously indicated that his aims include the demilitarization of Ukraine while retaining all territories claimed by Russia throughout the conflict.
