Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow, sending at least 34 drones to the city. This was the biggest drone strike on Moscow since the war started in 2022. The attack caused big disruptions, with flights being diverted from three of Moscow's busiest airports, and at least five people were injured.

Drone strike force flight diversions and injuries

The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down over 50 drones in other parts of western Russia. They called the attack an attempt by Ukraine to carry out a "terrorism attack" using drones. The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency reported that flights at three big airports, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky, were affected, and at least 36 flights had to be diverted. After a short time, the airports started operating again. The Defence Ministry also confirmed that five people were injured in the Moscow area because of the attack.

Moscow has a population of at least 21 million people, making it one of the biggest cities in Europe. The war in Ukraine has seen both sides using drones in new and creative ways, making drones an important part of the conflict.

In response, Russia launched a record 145 drones during the night. Ukraine said it managed to shoot down 62 of those drones. Ukraine also said it targeted a Russian weapons store in the Bryansk region, where Russia claimed to have shot down 14 drones.

Unverified videos on Russian Telegram channels showed drones flying over Moscow during the attack. The war between Ukraine and Russia, which has been going on for more than two years, has seen both sides using drones to attack key targets, such as oil refineries, airports, and radar stations in both countries.

The war has mostly been fought with trench battles and artillery, but there have been big changes in how drones are used. Both Russia and Ukraine have worked on making new drone technology and using it in different ways. They have even used things like farmers' shotguns and special systems to stop or destroy drones. As the war moves towards what some officials think could be its last stage, drones are becoming a bigger part of the fighting, changing how wars are fought today.