Recent drone attacks across multiple Russian regions led to flight suspensions in Moscow, with debris from one drone discovered on the runway of a key airport. This incident is attributed to Ukrainian forces, escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict.
On Monday, the Astra Telegram channel shared footage showing passengers stranded on the tarmac at Zhukovsky Airport, located about 20 miles from downtown Moscow, which was temporarily closed to all flights.
Moscow’s major airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo—also halted operations as videos surfaced of drones operating in the early morning sky.
Russian officials reported that air defenses intercepted approximately 144 drones across nine regions, resulting in significant property damage, including residential fires, a fatality, and disruptions to air travel.
TATYANA MAKEYEVA/Getty Images
With Ukraine’s drone capabilities expanding rapidly due to ongoing aggression from Moscow, Kyiv has stepped up attacks targeting Russian energy, military, and transportation infrastructure—though it has not directly claimed responsibility for recent strikes.
The drone onslaught marks one of the largest attacks on Russian soil since the onset of Vladimir Putin’s invasion, prompting Russia’s investigative committee to initiate a criminal case against Ukraine for alleged terror acts, as reported by state agency Tass.
According to Tass, air defense systems successfully intercepted drones over regions such as Kursk, Tula, Belgorod, and Voronezh. Videos from Russian security-related Telegram channels displayed flames erupting from high-rise buildings following the strikes.
Damage was reported in Moscow’s Ramenskoye district, where two residential towers caught fire, as announced by local governor Andrei Vorobyov via Telegram.
This is Moscow today.
Russian media report over 20 Ukrainian drones intercepted over the city (though this one wasn’t) and 144 drones intercepted across Russia.
Key things:
1. Russian official media are no longer downplaying these attacks—they can’t ignore them anymore 1/ pic.twitter.com/ZIcfb0lpiW
— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) September 10, 2024
A 46-year-old woman lost her life, with three others injured and 43 evacuated from affected buildings. In Bryansk, residents captured video evidence of the aftermath, although officials reported no significant destruction or casualties there.
Tymofiy Mylovanov, a former Ukrainian economic minister, shared on X that Russian media can no longer disregard the intensity of the drone strikes, signifying a shift in public perception about the conflict’s reality. He suggested that these attacks might represent a broader military strategy targeting critical infrastructure in Russia, indicative of the conflict reaching deeper into Russian territory.