Ukrainian drone attacks force airport shutdowns near Moscow, mayor says
Moscow's two major airports temporarily suspended operations early on June 8 due to a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting the Russian capital and its surrounding regions, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on Telegram.
According to Sobyanin, air defense units began intercepting drones flying toward Moscow shortly after 4 a.m. Between 5:59 a.m. and 8:19 a.m., he reported the downing of 10 drones in separate waves.
Each incident was followed by the deployment of emergency services to the crash sites.
The attacks forced authorities to temporarily close Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports — two of the city's busiest hubs. Operations were reportedly suspended around 6:53 a.m. local time, disrupting passenger traffic and causing delays.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 61 Ukrainian drones were launched between the evening of June 7 and the morning of June 8, targeting Russian territory and occupied Crimea.
The ministry said drones were intercepted over Moscow and its suburbs, as well as in Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Tula, Oryol, and Kursk oblasts.
Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the attack, and the Kyiv Independent cannot verify information provided by Russian officials.
Kyiv has stepped up its long-range drone campaign against Russia in recent months, particularly targeting Moscow and key military infrastructure. Though most drones are intercepted before reaching the capital, the threat has caused repeated disruptions to civilian air travel.
Since Jan. 1, Ukrainian drone raids have prompted at least 217 temporary airport closures across Russia, according to data from Rosaviatsia, Russia's aviation agency, the independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on May 14.
On the nights ahead of Russia's Victory Day on May 9, drone strikes prompted widespread flight restrictions that affected travel plans for more than 60,000 passengers, according to the Association of Russian Tour Operators.
While Ukrainian officials have not publicly commented on the latest attacks, defense officials in Kyiv have consistently described strikes on military and logistical targets inside Russia as legitimate acts of self-defense amid Moscow's ongoing aggression.
Read also: Ukraine's new drone strategy — cripple Moscow's airports, make Russian population 'pay'
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
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