Moscow airports disrupted as Russia says Ukraine launches drone assault
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Explosions are seen in the Kyiv night sky as Ukrainian servicemen fire towards drones during a Russian drone strike on May 26.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW - The Russian authorities said they repelled almost 150 Ukrainian drones overnight into May 28, in a major attack that forced at least three Moscow airports to suspend flights.
On Telegram, the Defence Ministry posted that 112 Ukrainian drones had been “destroyed and intercepted” in six different regions in the three hours up to midnight.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that another 33 drones heading for the Russian capital had been shot down.
The Russian military announces Ukrainian drone attacks most days, but rarely of this intensity over such a short period of time.
Moscow, several hundred kilometres from the frontier, is not often the target of such a big attack.
But the capital has increasingly had to divert flights in recent weeks.
This time, the Federal Aviation Transport Agency said restrictions had been introduced at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports.
Beyond Moscow, 59 had targeted the south-western region of Bryansk, the Defence Ministry said. Others were fired at the Kursk, Belgorod, Tula, Oryol and Kaluga regions.
The attack comes after Ukraine said it had faced the most intense three days of Russian drone attacks
The Russian military announces Ukrainian drone attacks most days but rarely of this intensity over such a short period of time.
Moscow, several hundred kilometres from the frontier, is not often the target of such a big attack.
But the authorities have been increasingly forced to divert flights from Moscow airports in recent weeks.
This time, the Federal Aviation Transport Agency said restrictions had been introduced at Moscow’s Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports.
Ukraine said that Russia had launched more than 900 drones over three days up to May 26. Thirteen civilians were killed in attacks on May 25, including three children.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said May 27 that it had responded to Ukraine’s “provocation” by launching drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian civilian installations. AFP
