New Delhi: Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, temporarily suspended flights at all four major airports serving Moscow on Tuesday, after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack overnight. The move was described as a safety precaution amid intensifying aerial threats.
According to Russian media reports, defence systems intercepted and destroyed 76 Ukrainian drones in just two hours late Monday. The attempted assault, described as one of the most intense in recent months, marks a major escalation in the ongoing conflict. This came days after Russia launched its own largest drone strike against Ukraine.
Russia also attacks Ukraine with drones
Ukraine’s air force confirmed that Russia had deployed 479 self-destructing drones during a relentless barrage that began on Monday night. However, Ukrainian forces reportedly shot down or jammed 460 of them using electronic countermeasures. One person was injured in Ukraine’s Rivne region, where the attacks were particularly severe.
“The night was extremely difficult,” said Oleksandr Koval while talking to media, head of the military administration in Rivne. “The enemy targeted critical infrastructure with extraordinary force.”
Russian forces advancing toward Dnipropetrovsk
Meanwhile, Russian forces claim to be advancing toward Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, a zone that has seen repeated airstrikes but limited ground conflict.
Despite the mounting violence, both countries carried out a prisoner exchange on Monday. Hundreds of soldiers under the age of 25 returned home in what officials described as emotional reunions. The swap is part of a broader deal negotiated in Istanbul on June 2, aiming to exchange at least 1,200 prisoners of war from each side and recover fallen soldiers’ remains.
