A massive Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow closed 3 of its 4 airports

A damaged multi-story building following a Ukrainian drone attack in Ramenskoye in the Moscow region. Russia said it intercepted 144 drones across the country.

Maxim Shemetov

Russia said it suspended flights at three of Moscow’s four international airports.Russian officials reported shooting down 144 drones, including 20 over Moscow. One woman died in the Ramenskoye district after drones set several flats on fire, Russia said.

Russia suspended flights at three of Moscow’s four international airports after Ukraine launched a huge drone attack overnight.

Russian officials said they shot down 144 drones in the attack, including 20 over Moscow.

The Tass state news agency, quoting the federal agency for air transport, Rosaviatsia, said that around 50 flights were diverted from three international airports.

The airports — Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Vnukovo — have since resumed operations, it said.

According to the Financial Times, some flights were also suspended at the airport in Kazan in central Russia.

Rosaviatsia did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Andrei Vorobyov, governor of Moscow, said one woman died in the Ramenskoye district after drones set several flats on fire and damaged at least two high-rise apartments, according to Sky News.

Alexander Li, an eyewitness to the fires, told Reuters he saw a window get “blown out by the shock wave.”

Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the attack.

It comes after Russia recently launched several strikes on cities across Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force posted on Telegram that it had hit 38 out of 46 drones Russia launched at it on Tuesday.

The drones were shot down over several regions, including the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as well as Odesa and Kharkiv.

Ukraine has accelerated its domestic drone production over the last few years.

In July, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s minister of strategic industries, said Ukraine was on track to manufacture “significantly” more small attack drones by the end of the year than it had originally planned.

Ukraine has repeatedly pleaded with its Western allies to lift restrictions on long-range ballistic weaponry to attack targets deep in Russian territory.

Ukraine’s last drone attack of this scale was in May, when Russian officials said they intercepted 102 air and sea drones which knocked out power in southwestern Russia and parts of Crimea.