For the second night in a row, Ukraine launched a series of overnight drone attacks on Moscow, compelling Russian authorities to temporarily shut down the city’s major airports. Russia’s aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, confirmed that Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports were all closed for several hours due to safety concerns before flights resumed later.
Moscow’s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, announced that Russian air defences had successfully intercepted at least 19 drones approaching the capital from various directions. He added that debris from the downed drones landed on a major highway leading into Moscow, but no injuries were reported.
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While Ukraine has yet to officially comment on the strike, Ukrainian officials reported overnight drone attacks by Russia on Kharkiv and Kyiv. In the southern port city of Odesa, one person died following a Russian drone strike, according to regional Governor Oleh Kiper.
This latest attack on Moscow marks the second consecutive night Ukraine has targeted Russian soil using drones. Just a day earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry reported shooting down 26 Ukrainian drones.
Although Russian officials reported limited damage in Moscow, military bloggers claimed an apartment building in the city’s south sustained minor damage, including shattered windows. Drone incidents were also reported in other cities such as Penza and Voronezh.
The aerial attacks come amid escalating tensions in Russia’s Kursk region near the border. Ukraine’s military claimed it struck a drone command centre near the village of Tyotkino on Sunday, part of a wider operation in an area where Ukrainian forces have reportedly maintained a presence since 2023.
Despite Moscow’s claim in April that it had regained full control of the region, Ukraine insists its troops are still operating inside Russian territory. On Monday, officials in Rylsk, another town in the Kursk region, said a drone hit an electrical substation, destroying two transformers and injuring two teenagers with shrapnel, according to acting governor Alexander Khinshtein.
Unconfirmed videos shared by pro-Russian military bloggers showed vehicles attempting to break through tank traps at the border. Some claimed Ukrainian troops fired missiles, destroyed bridges, and used armoured units to launch an incursion into Russian territory.
According to the military blog RVvoenkor, mine-clearing vehicles were seen clearing paths through minefields, followed by troop carriers, and reports suggested heavy fighting was underway.
Ukraine’s Defence Forces stated Monday that they have maintained a military presence in the Kursk region for nine months. Maps shared by pro-Kremlin sources indicated that Ukrainian forces may have attempted to breach several border points near Tyotkino.
In Ukraine’s bordering Sumy region—located just 12 kilometres from Tyotkino—local authorities have called for the evacuation of two settlements due to increased hostilities.
Ukraine initially began its operations in the Kursk region in August 2024, calling it a strategic measure to establish a buffer zone to protect areas like Sumy. Analysts believe Kyiv may also view the region as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations with Russia.
Amid these developments, both sides continue to exchange drone and missile strikes, with the number of civilian casualties in the border areas steadily rising.
