Moscow Under Siege Again as Ukrainian Drones Disrupt Capital’s Skies

For the second consecutive night, Russian air defense units intercepted a swarm of Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, prompting the temporary closure of the city’s airports early Tuesday morning. Russian officials confirmed that the defenses successfully neutralized at least 19 drones approaching from multiple directions, underscoring the persistent volatility in the ongoing conflict.

Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that no casualties or significant destruction resulted from the debris that fell in the city. “At the sites where fragments landed, there was no destruction or casualties,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. He reassured residents that emergency services were actively working at the incident sites, some of which included debris landing on a major highway leading into the capital.

In response to the drone threat, Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, announced the suspension of flights at all four airports serving Moscow. The closures extended to several regional airports, disrupting domestic travel amid heightened tensions.

Despite the disruptions, Russian air defenses managed to shoot down four Ukrainian drones on Tuesday without causing injuries or damage. The persistent drone attacks are part of a broader pattern of assaults launched by Kyiv, which views these strikes as a strategic effort to target infrastructure vital to Moscow’s military and logistical operations. Ukraine argues that its drone campaigns are retaliatory measures, aimed at hindering Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukrainian territories and targeting key energy and infrastructure sites.

The conflict, now over three years old, began in earnest when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a “special military operation.” Kyiv’s drone attacks on Moscow have ramped up in recent months, with the most deadly attack in March killing three people.

There has been no immediate comment from Kyiv regarding the latest drone strikes on Moscow. Ukrainian officials maintain that their operations are aimed at weakening Russia’s war effort by targeting critical infrastructure, responding to the continual assaults on Ukrainian cities and energy facilities, and asserting their right to defend their sovereignty. The ongoing tit-for-tat underscores the fragile and escalating nature of this conflict, with each side accusing the other of aggression and strategic provocation.