Russian authorities reported a significant escalation in drone activity, claiming to have intercepted nearly 150 Ukrainian drones overnight leading into Wednesday. This major assault resulted in the temporary suspension of flights at at least three prominent Moscow airports due to safety concerns.
The Russian Ministry of Defense took to Telegram to announce that 112 of the drones had been “destroyed and intercepted” across six different regions within a three-hour window prior to midnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that additional defenses brought down another 33 drones targeting the capital itself.
While drone attacks have become a regular occurrence in the ongoing conflict, the intensity of this particular attack was unusual. Moscow, which is situated several hundred kilometers from the frontline, has not frequently faced such a barrage. However, the capital has seen a growing number of flight diversions in recent weeks, attributed to airspace restrictions. The Federal Aviation Transport Agency confirmed that there were significant flight restrictions in place at major airports including Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky.
In addition to the drones aimed at Moscow, 59 drones were reported to have targeted the southwestern region of Bryansk. Other areas affected included Kursk, Belgorod, Tula, Oryol, and Kaluga.
This overnight drone swarm follows a period of heightened aggression, with Ukraine recently stating that it endured its most intense bout of Russian drone strikes since the war began in 2022. Over the course of three days leading up to Monday, Ukraine reported that Russian forces launched more than 900 drones, tragically resulting in the deaths of 13 civilians, including three children, during attacks on Sunday alone.
In response, Russia’s defense ministry emphasized that these strikes were aimed at mitigating the impact of prior Ukrainian drone and missile assaults that had led to civilian casualties in Russia. The ongoing exchange of drone strikes between the two nations highlights the escalating nature of the conflict, with both sides adopting increasingly aggressive tactics.
