Moscow’s four major airports were forced to shut down temporarily following an overnight drone attack, Russia has claimed, marking the second consecutive night of such incidents. According to Russian aviation authorities, the closures were precautionary, and operations later resumed.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that at least 19 Ukrainian drones were intercepted from various directions before reaching the city. While there were no casualties, debris landed on key infrastructure, including a major highway. Unverified accounts by Russian military bloggers also indicated property damage, including shattered windows in southern Moscow.
Ukraine has yet to comment on the alleged drone attack, though officials in Kharkiv and Kyiv confirmed Russia carried out drone strikes in their regions during the same period. In Ukraine’s Odesa region, one person was reportedly killed by a drone strike.
Russia’s defence ministry said Monday night’s attack destroyed 26 Ukrainian drones. The escalation comes amid broader cross-border hostilities, including in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine claims to maintain a military presence.
Ukraine’s general staff said it targeted a drone command unit near Tyotkino, a village close to the border. Meanwhile, Russian officials reported that two transformers at an electrical substation in Rylsk, Kursk, were damaged, cutting off power. Two teenagers were also injured by shrapnel from the blast, according to Kursk’s acting governor, Alexander Khinshtein.
Military bloggers allege that Ukrainian forces attempted another cross-border incursion into Tyotkino. These reports, while unverified, describe Ukrainian troops using armoured vehicles and mine-clearing equipment to breach tank traps and advance into Russian territory. “There is a heavy battle going on at the border,” one prominent blogger stated.
In northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy region—just 12km from Tyotkino—authorities have urged residents in two settlements to evacuate amid fears of intensifying conflict. Kyiv initially launched incursions into Kursk in August 2024 to create a buffer zone and shield Sumy, while possibly leveraging gains in future negotiations.
As the war drags on into its fourth year, the frequency and intensity of drone warfare and border skirmishes signal a dangerous escalation that risks drawing the conflict deeper into Russian territory.
