Moscow shoots down dozens of drones as airports halt flights

Published 22 Jun, 2026 10:09am 1 min read
Picture courtesy X
Picture courtesy X

The Russian capital of Moscow shot down dozens of drones in the early hours of Monday and briefly suspended flights at airports, ​local authorities said, just days after Ukraine hit the ​city’s oil refinery again.

Nearly 60 drones heading for Moscow ⁠were downed, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.

Sobyanin did ​not provide further details, adding that emergency services had been ​dispatched to areas where drones were downed.

The airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, as well as Zhukovskiy near the capital, had suspended flights, although ​those were later resumed, the aviation watchdog said separately.

The attack ​comes after drones again hit Moscow’s sole oil refinery last week.

In that offensive, ‌Moscow’s defence ⁠systems shot down nearly 200 drones in one of the biggest air attacks on the city since Russia’s military attack on Ukraine in 2022.

The city of Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea cancelled all open-air ​public events ​on Monday and ⁠will keep street lights switched off, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the city governor, said on Telegram as ​he called on people to curb electricity ​usage.

Crimea, a ⁠popular tourist destination for Russians, has suspended fuel sales to the public and businesses, with supplies restricted to government agencies responsible ⁠for essential ​services and security, as Ukraine’s drone ​attacks on its supply routes and energy facilities elsewhere led to a fuel ​crisis.

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