Moscow temporarily closes airports as Ukraine targets Russia with drones
June 8 (UPI) -- Ukraine targeted Russia with another drone strike on Sunday, causing two airports serving Moscow and a third nearby to temporarily close.
Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport said in a statement that restrictions had been put in place and later lifted at Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, as well as at the Kaluga airport about a hundred miles southwest of the capital.
"The restrictions were introduced to ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights," the agency said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that Russia had shot down multiple drones that had flown towards the city overnight.
"Emergency services specialists are working at the site of the falling debris," Sobyanin said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that it intercepted and destroyed 61 Ukrainian drones over the Moscow region and the regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Tula, Orel, Kursk, and Crimea. It later said another three were destroyed over the Belgorod, Bryansk and Tula regions.
The strikes came after Tula regional governor Dmitry Milyaev said on Telegram on Saturday that a drone crashed into the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk and caused a fire, which was later put out. He said two people had been injured.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council's Counter-Disinformation Center, said on Telegram that the Azot plant "is one of the key links in the Russian military-industrial complex."
"It is here that explosives are manufactured, including TNT, which is used in artillery shells, aircraft bombs and missiles," Kovalenko alleged. "After the start of the full-scale invasion of Russia, the enterprise was put on wartime mode. Azot works closely with companies that manufacture shells, UAV hulls, and remote mining equipment."
Meanwhile, Russia praised the efforts of its own drone strikes Sunday, saying on Telegram that it had used drones to strike a MaxxPro armored vehicle operated by "Ukrainian militants" in the South Donetsk direction as well as to destroy an ammunition depot and in the Zaporizhia region.
On Saturday, Russia conducted a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, killing multiple people as the death toll continued to grow, according to Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov.
The latest escalations in the war come amid a stalled prisoner exchange deal. Both sides have blamed each other for delays in reaching a deal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Polish and allied planes briefly scramble amid Russian targeting of Ukraine, Poland says
LONDON -- Polish and allied planes briefly scrambled early on Monday in Polish airspace, as Russia targeted nearby Ukraine with aerial strikes, the Polish armed forces said. The Ukrainian air force issued a series of alerts early on Monday, saying Russian drones were targeting areas throughout much of Ukraine. The operation commander of the armed forces in Poland "launched all available forces and resources at his disposal, the on-duty fighter pairs were scrambled, and the ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness," the military said in a statement in Polish translated by ABC News. The launches were "preventative in nature," the military said. About three hours after that initial message, at about 7 a.m. local time, the military said the threat of Russian strikes had been reduced, so the Polish and allied warplanes had been returned to their usual activity. "We inform you that no violation of the airspace of the Republic of Poland has been observed," the military said. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Polish and allied planes briefly scramble amid Russian targeting of Ukraine, Poland says originally appeared on
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine plots fracking revolution
Ukraine is working to unleash natural gas fracking with the goal of becoming a major exporter and revolutionising Europe's energy market. In plans critical to Volodymyr Zelensky's hopes of a post-war economic recovery, ministers in Kyiv are scrambling to lure private investment and gain access to new drilling technology to access the country's vast untapped shale gas resources. According to sources close to Kyiv, officials are racing to attract 'foreign technology and highly experienced subsoil users', with a focus on unconventional shale resources in western Ukraine. The hunt for cash - as revealed by the independent news platform Energy Flux - is being conducted in parallel to the rare earth minerals deal struck between Donald Trump and President Zelensky in April, which will allow the US to exploit Ukraine's natural resources, including aluminium, graphite, oil and natural gas. The priority is to rapidly revitalise Ukraine's ailing gas sector after a gruelling winter saw roughly 40pc of production capacity taken out by a fierce Russian campaign of drone and missile strikes. The attacks forced Ukraine to draw heavily on its gas stocks, which ended winter almost entirely depleted. But Ukraine's Ministry of Energy believes it is possible to refill the country's cavernous underground storage facilities and even produce a surplus for export 'within 18 months', according to a senior government source. Ukraine already has some experience with advanced drilling technology for old wells and has since carried out experimental trials that 'confirm its potential' for fracking, they said. However, to unlock Ukraine's shale reserves, the country needs to attract more investment and newer kit, primarily from America. 'Development and production can be quickly developed using available gas infrastructure with connections to the EU gas market that make it very attractive,' the source added. 'Ukraine has enough deposits of traditional gas to cover its own consumption and to become a net exporter, and shale gas production has quite a profound effect on its development.' Such a turnaround would help transform the fortunes of Europe's energy markets, which remain on edge following the loss of Russian pipeline gas exports via Ukraine at the start of 2025. Refilling Ukraine's depleted gas storage – the largest in Europe, at 32bn cubic metres – is one of the main factors tightening energy markets in Central and Eastern Europe ahead of next winter. Ukraine's gas stocks are today just 7pc full compared to the EU average of 50pc. Efforts to pipe natural gas from Southern and Eastern Europe into Ukraine have also been thwarted by red tape and a lack of market cohesion. However, if Ukraine could unleash its own shale revolution and create a surplus for export, the need to keep pumping European gas into Ukraine would effectively disappear overnight. It would also help reduce Europe's reliance on costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from overseas. Gas-starved Europe leaned heavily on LNG after Gazprom, the Kremlin-backed energy giant, halted exports to the EU following Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian shale gas exports, if scaled up quickly, would erase a large chunk of European energy demand currently being met by LNG, potentially sparking a sharp drop in energy prices around the world. However, Kyiv's proposed fracking revolution hinges largely on the country's ability to secure overseas investment. Officials from Ukraine's Ministry of Energy are tapping Western diplomatic ties to find private capital funds with a high tolerance for risk to bankroll drilling and bring in technology partners. A senior government team attended the Baku Energy Forum in Azerbaijan last week in part to promote Ukraine's potential as a shale hub. Speaking at the event, one high-ranking statesman said the Lviv-Lublin geological area that straddles the Ukraine-Poland border is 'superior on the Ukrainian side' thanks to higher porosity and lower clay content, making it 'better for fracking'. The most promising prospect is the Oleska (Olesskaya) shale block, which contains an estimated 0.8 to 1.5 trillion cubic metres of shale gas resources – enough to meet Ukraine's domestic needs for decades. How much of this resource is economically recoverable is an open question. Chevron walked away from a 50pc interest in the Oleska project in 2014 before drilling could begin. Chevron's stated reason for leaving was not because of political instability or lack of resources, but rather Kyiv's failure to enact specific tax reforms necessary to enable shale gas foreign investment. Now, the Zelensky administration is moving to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic hurdles that previously deterred foreign investors. Ownership of the Olesskaya production sharing agreement (PSA) was transferred in April 2025 from government holding company Nadra Ukraine to Ukraine's largest oil and gas producer, Ukrnafta. The move signalled a strategic shift in the country's approach to fracking, particularly in the Oleska block. Ukrnafta is a state-owned enterprise following the nationalisation of strategic industries and declaration of martial law in 2022, which remains in force to this day. Attracting significant private capital into Ukrainian shale exploration would normally be impossible under these circumstances. However, the source said there are laws in place to ensure they can be overwritten. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
USA Today
30 minutes ago
- USA Today
Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg, officials say
Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg, officials say Show Caption Hide Caption Climate activist Greta Thunberg sets sail for Gaza to deliver aid "We have to keep trying." Climate activist Greta Thunberg set sail to deliver aid to Gaza just weeks after a similar mission was thwarted by bombs. JERUSALEM, June 9 (Reuters) - Israeli forces have taken command of a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and the boat with its crew of 12 including activist Greta Thunberg is now heading to a port in Israel, officials said on Sunday. The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the FFC said on its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed that it was under Israeli control. More: US vetoes UN Security Council demand for Gaza ceasefire "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over." Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m.," Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. More: Greta Thunberg sailing to Gaza on aid ship after drone attack setback The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed more than 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally. Gaza's health ministry says over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel's military campaign. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's more than 2 million residents are facing famine. The Israeli government says the blockade is essential to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas. The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the FFC operation and on Sunday, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. "Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza," she wrote on X. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer, Yomna Ehab and Enas Alashray; Editing by Richard Chang and Lincoln Feast.)
