Overnight drone attacks launched by Ukraine prompted a temporary halt in air traffic across key Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, though Russian authorities confirmed no damage was reported. The disruption affected civilian airports and highlighted the growing reach and intensity of drone warfare in the ongoing conflict.
According to Russia’s defense ministry, air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a total of 102 Ukrainian drones overnight. A significant concentration of these drones — nearly half — targeted the Bryansk region, which shares a border with Ukraine.
The ministry further reported that three drones were shot down over the Moscow region, while two were intercepted in the Leningrad region, where St. Petersburg is located.
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As a result of the aerial threat, Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, issued temporary flight suspensions at all four major airports serving Moscow, along with Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg. The precautionary measure extended to airports in nine additional cities as authorities worked to secure the airspace.
By Tuesday morning, flight operations resumed in Moscow and several other affected cities. However, restrictions remained in place for St. Petersburg as of 0430 GMT, indicating ongoing security assessments and caution in restoring full operations.
While no physical damage was reported, the temporary grounding of flights underscores the increasing strategic impact of drone technology in modern warfare. It also raises fresh concerns about airspace security over Russia’s largest population centers as the conflict continues to escalate beyond traditional battlegrounds.
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